Tricks and Treats: The 2010 Halloween Collection
by Lodylodylody
Summary: It's back. The second annual Suite Life Halloween collection. Sit back and enjoy tales of horror, humor, romance and more...brought to you by many fine Suite Life authors.
1. Introduction

**Halloween Introduction 2010**

by SilverTurtle

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It was a large group that had gathered in the Boston Tipton Hotel conference hall. It seemed as though everyone who had ever spent any length of time on Tipton property, building or boat, was crammed into the room. The noise level was overwhelming as people gave enthusiastic greetings to those they hadn't seen in a while or introduced themselves around.

Emma Tutweiller stood behind a podium at the front of the room surveying this unruly mob and preparing to begin her presentation.

She leaned towards the microphone and spoke, "Good evening, everyone." This got no response from the audience.

Too quiet, Emma thought. She tried again, "Excuse me!" Again, no one looked in her direction.

"HEY!" she shouted into the microphone. The sudden bark of noise over the speakers cut over the cacophonous crowd and silenced them.

Emma cleared her throat and fought down an embarrassed blush, "Good evening and welcome to the Boston Tipton," she began, "As many of you are aware the holiday season is fast approaching and you know what that means." She paused a moment to see if anyone had guessed the purpose of this gathering before revealing, "That means it's time for another Halloween Collection."

A thunderous roar of approval shook the room as those gathered hooted and hollered.

"All right!" Zack Martin shouted gleefully, "My favorite time of year. Free candy and costumed babes, what more could a man ask from a holiday?"

His brother elbowed him in the ribs and looked at him disapprovingly. "He could ask," Cody said pointedly, "about the historical significance of the holiday and remember it's better to give than to receive."

Zack waved a dismissive hand, "That's Christmas, Codes. Halloween is all about the ladies and the sweets…and the sweet ladies!"

Before Cody could make a scathing reply about ladies not always being so sweet their attention was drawn to the front again.

"Since we have a new set of stories coming at us I thought it would be a good idea to review some of last year's works to get everyone prepared for whatever our illustrious authors might throw at us this year," Emma said. There were nods all around the room. "I've thrown together a few clips from last year's collection that I think present a good look at what we can expect from a Halloween collection. First up is the action oriented _Trick or Scream_ from Kulmanari."

The lights of the room dimmed as a screen behind Emma flickered into life and the clip began to play.

_"I'm done playing with you all," Cody shouted, feeling a cool gel-like substance spread across his skin replacing his clothing. The gel gave off a brilliant golden glow as it hardened into his suit of lightweight plate armor that protected him from neck to toe. Now with his magical weapon in hand, suit of armor covering his body and the power of the light surging through his body Cody went on the offensive._

_Excalibur flashed in wide arcs, clearing out a short radius around him which gave him enough room to pull light into his left hand and launch devastating lances of golden energy into the masses of zombies, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter. Cody cleared a path back to the Tipton using Excalibur's deadly thirty six inch long edge and shaped energy attacks in short order._

_He backed into the lobby doors, continuing to blast the zombies as they rushed at him and shattered the door behind him with the hilt of his sword. Stepping through the destroyed door, he launched several more lances of light into three zombies that were jumping in after him knocking them right out of the air before he turned and ran to the elevator. It was still on the ground floor thankfully and he started frantically tapping the button for the twenty third floor, willing the doors to close faster._

_One of the zombies managed to get to the elevator before the doors shut completely and reached in trying to grab him. Cody slammed his gauntlet encased left fist into its head and the zombie dropped like and unstrung puppet, leaving a gory mess covering his armor. The doors finally shut and the annoyingly cheerful music started playing from the speakers, oblivious to what was going on in the world._

Cody watched himself proudly on the screen, "I remember learning to use that sword. It was so heavy!"

Zack ruffled his brother's formerly perfectly coiffed hair, "Dude, you don't have to tell us that. We were the ones in those zombie costumes getting the snot beat out of us!"

"Speaking of costumes," Emma broke in, "Choosing the right ones can be difficult, as we saw in SilverTurtle's _It's All About the Costumes_, but it can also pay off well."

_Cody whirled around and saw Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy bouncing around the lobby. They were good costumes._

_Poison Ivy caught sight of him and grabbed him around the shoulders in a hug squealing, "We won, Cody, we won! All thanks to you and your comic books! Thank you!" As he was swung about in her arms he knew this was Maddie, which made 'Harley' London. He laughed; he'd have never expected them to choose villains._

_Suddenly London got in on the hug, too. Even though he was starting to feel a little stifled he wasn't going to complain. Who would? He had rather good imitations of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn trapping him between them, no man in his right mind would try to escape that. They released him still laughing._

"That was a fun one," London spoke up from beside Maddie. "You looked good in green," she whispered in Maddie's ear as she placed her hand on the blonde's knee and teasingly moved it up her friend's thigh.

Maddie squeaked and blushed, catching London's hand in her own just as it strayed into sensitive territory. She shot out of her seat and pulled London up with her, dragging the heiress out of the room with a fierce blush on her cheeks. London grinned like the cat that got the cream as the door closed behind them.

"Those comic books were a great idea, Codes," Zack said with a blissful look on his face, eyes glued to the door his friends had disappeared through. No doubt he was imagining other superheroine costumes the girls could have chosen and what they might be doing behind that closed door.

Cody nodded, "They were rather ingenious, if I do say so myself…and I do."

"Gee Cody," a feminine voice said on his left, "Don't go breaking your arm there."

Cody turned to see Bailey raising an eyebrow at him, "Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?" he questioned defensively.

Bailey grinned, "Don't break your arm…you know, from patting yourself on the back so hard."

Cody rolled his eyes and gave a long-suffering sigh, "Every day I'm reminded why it was a great idea for us to break up."

Bailey nudged his shoulder with her own and chuckled, "Likewise."

A few seats down Moose had perked up hearing about that break up. He stood with the intention of asking Bailey to give him another chance when the seat beside her was taken up by a leggy blonde.

"So," a British accented voice spoke up on Bailey's left, "you're available?"

Bailey and Cody both moved to look at who spoke and saw none other than Jessica Ellis occupying the seat.

Cody said, "Jessica, I'm flattered by your interest but I'm just not ready for-"

"Actually, Cody," Jessica interrupted before he could say anything more embarrassing, "I was speaking to Bailey." Jessica turned to look unabashedly at Bailey's now bright red face. She grinned as Bailey stammered and outright laughed when Bailey went stock still when Jessica crossed her legs and teasingly ran her dangling foot up Bailey's leg.

Cody's mouth dropped open as all coherent thought fled.

"Moving right along," Emma said through gritted teeth as she glared daggers at Jessica, "Next up is a mix of humor and horror in _Terror Comes A Hopping_ by woundedhearts."

_"Carrot?" came the voice again._

_"No, no carrots here." Bob replied a little embarrassed that he was currently talking to a rabbit._

_"Carrot?" the rabbit once again uttered._

_As Bob finally caught on he realized he was now completely surrounded by these creatures who were mistaking him for a rather large carrot. Still Bob couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity, that is, until they showed teeth._

_Bob let out a nervous squeak and stepped back cautiously, his instincts were telling him to run. But his mind was telling him the opposite. After all they were just rabbits._

_"Carrot!" they cried. "Carrot! Carrot! Carrot! Carrot!"_

_They began to chant in unison as they came closer to the young redheaded boy with a crop of freckles. Bob began to sweat, and panic, he jumped up and began to run. He didn't care where he was going, but he just wanted to get away from the awful chanting._

_"Carrot! Carrot! Carrot!" They continued as the frightened boy tried his best to escape._

_But it was no use they had him cornered, and as they pounced onto him he began screaming at the top of his lungs._

_"No stop, get off me!" he shouted. "I am not a carrot!"_

Bob shuddered in his seat, "Bunnies…So. Many. Bunnies."

The redhead gave a mad giggle that turned into an aborted scream as traumatic memories flooded him and he yelled at the top of his lungs, "I AM NOT A CARROT!" He shouted it over and over as he ran around the room, punctuating the statement with crazy laughter and hands fisted in his hair.

He was stopped when Ilsa somehow managed to catch the running man in a headlock and knock him out.

She laid him on the floor and said, "This reminds me of the time I was eaten."

"Actually," Emma said from the front, "That scene from _The Witching Hour_ by Lodylodylody is the next clip." She pressed a button to bring up the dramatic moment.

_Realizing her helplessness, Ilsa didn't even try to struggle as the beast slowly pulled her down into the pit. She could only sob piteously as she went to her fate. The look of hopeless resignation on her face was so disturbing that Maddie had to look away. The young woman buried her face against Esteban's chest._

Ilsa nodded. "Look at that," she said, dabbing a tear from her eye and gesturing at the screen, "Powerful scene. Do you see how torn I am? How broken and afraid? It takes a lot of skill to portray that kind of emotion in so brief a scene. I should be a big star, then everyone vould see how talented I am."

The rest of the room let an awkward silence fall. Someone far in the back coughed.

Ilsa looked around for support and found the tops of many heads as people stared at their feet. "Oh, fine," she said angrily, "Just because I'm not young, perky, and beautiful I can't be a star? I HAVE SKILLS TOO, YOU CRETINS! Come Blitzkrieg, ve know vhere ve're not vanted." She lifted her mean little dog and huffed out of the room muttering her dissatisfaction and promising revenge with Blitzkrieg barking vicious agreement.

Busy watching Ilsa storm away the crowd almost missed the return of London and Maddie, but the heavy door banging closed behind them gave them away.

London had a satisfied smirk stretching her lips as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Maddie looked decidedly mussed. Her hair stood in several directions, her tie was undone and her shirt was askew and buttoned improperly, her lip gloss was smeared away, and she was grinning dazedly with a blush pinking her cheeks.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind as to what they'd been up to.

London's smirk only grew wider as she realized everyone's attention was on them, "So, what did we miss?"

"Ahem," Emma coughed into her fist, "Please take your seats, girls. And thank you for the reminder that not all stories are doom and gloom. Humor and romance can also shine in these stories. Take, for instance, these two parts from Lodylodylody's _Night of the Living Lounge Singer_."

_"Skippy!" Carey cried out as she stumbled backwards in shock._

_The terrified night manager ran to her side. "Oh lord!" he exclaimed. "Oh lord, oh lord, oh lord! I think those are real zombies!"_

_Unfortunately for the frightened duo, the zombies quickly made short work of the human audience members and surged forward onto the stage. There was nowhere for Carey or Skippy to run._

_"Brains!" the creatures moaned as they reached out and grabbed Skippy. He was too overcome with terror to put up much of a fight…but oddly, the zombies started to hesitate. None of them bit the man, and a few seemed to sniff at him._

_"Brains?" one zombie said in a questioning tone. Several of the monsters stared at Skippy and then shook their heads. They pushed the man aside and ignored him as they turned towards Carey._

_Skippy never was that bright._

"When that was all revealed to be a horrible dream, we got to see a glimpse of romance with a little thrill," Emma said.

_Nick kissed her again, before whispering in her ear. "Darling, you know you are so much more than just food."_

_Carey smiled. She could tell from his tone what was coming next._

_Nick extended his fangs and bit into Carey's neck. She let out a contented sigh as he drank from her while at the same time using his hands to touch her in just the right places._

Carey sighed, "Too bad he didn't stick around for long. I would have enjoyed a few more romps with him."

A two part chorus of "EW!" rang out from the Martin twins.

"Mom," Zack said looking a little green, "We SO don't need to hear about your love life!"

"Yeah," Cody agreed, "Studies show that kids who are aware of their parents' sex lives are markedly less adept in their own romances. The trauma prevents them from forming lasting emotional attachments and often from achieving orgasm during intercourse."

"Whoa," Zack intoned quietly, then asked his brother in a hushed voice, "Is that all true?"

Cody shot a look at his twin, "No, but do you want to hear any more about her sleeping with anyone?"

Zack gave a full body shudder and made a face, "Carry on."

Carey gave her boys a wry look knowing, as only a mother could, that her sons were trying to pull the wool over her eyes. "Mhm," she lifted one sculpted eyebrow at her children, "Then I suppose I shouldn't even mention all the times and places your dad and I enjoyed each other before we had you. Like that one time in Vegas," as her sons cringed she grinned evilly and added, "in public, with the Elvis and showgirl costumes we stole from that little cabaret."

"Ooh, yeah," Kurt said joining in on the teasing, "That was a good time. I think that's the night you two were conceived. If the officers had gotten there a moment sooner you two might not be here today," he finished cheerfully.

"DAD!" two mortified shrieks sounded in tandem.

"Speaking of unknowable horror," Emma interrupted looking a little queasy herself, "brings us to _Black Aggie_ by DarkElements10."

_They said that the statue - nicknamed Black Aggie - was haunted by the spirit of a mistreated wife who lay beneath her feet. The statue's eyes would glow red at the stroke of midnight, and any living person who returned the statues gaze would instantly be struck blind. Any pregnant woman who passed through her shadow would miscarry. If you sat on her lap at night, the statue would come to life and crush you to death in her dark embrace. They also said that spirits of the dead would rise from their graves on dark nights to gather around the statue at night and if anyone should happen to cross them the evil angel would awaken and pull you down into the fiery pits of hell._

_But this was just a local legend, as far as Cody Martin was concerned, he didn't believe in ghosts and demons and monsters under the bed and especially not haunted statues. Cody believed in hard, solid proof, and so far there had been nothing that even suggested that the statue was indeed haunted, only the stories and rumors._

_There had been no weird deaths or blindness maybe once a woman that had walked past had miscarried, but really did that prove that Black Aggie was real?_

_Not as far as Cody and many other skeptics were concerned. But there was one thing for sure, even if he swore that he didn't believe it in the least, Cody would not walk through that cemetery alone._

"I know logically that cemeteries are nothing to be afraid of, but after that story I think I'll avoid them in the future as much as possible," Cody said.

"Dude," Zack gave his brother a questioning glance, "When did you ever hang out in cemeteries before?"

"Well, if we're counting archeological sites than at least twice. Besides, you know, by now something has died on every inch of this planet," Cody pointed out. The he dramatically declared, "The whole world is a cemetery!"

"Whatever, Codes," Zack said, "Should we get out your blankie and night light? Is Cody-wody afwaid of the dawk?"

Cody smacked his brother's arm as the room erupted in good natured laughter. "The only thing I'm afraid of is you with a knife. Miss Tutweiller, do you have a clip from Snappelinz's _Be Careful What You Wish Fo_r?"

"I think so," Emma said pressing a few buttons on the remote she held, "Ah, here it is!"

_That's when Cody looked past Zack and saw what looked like two bejewelled shoes sticking out past the wall leading towards London's suite. Cody sprinted forward and rounded the corner. He nearly stumbled right over London, sprawled out before him. She was dressed quite fashionably, like she'd just been to a tasteful and luxurious social gathering. She laid spreadeagled across the carpet, exposing her bloodied torso. Instead of her usual lofty demeanour and wide smile, the corners of her mouth were stretched wide in a silent scream._

_"Oh my God," Cody muttered hoarsely, backing away from both London and Zack._

_"I had to do it, Cody. I couldn't let you down again. I had to give back what I owed. Mom always says: never a borrower, nor a lender be," Zack murmured painstakingly, coming towards Cody with the blade still in hand._

"That was so much fun to play. Look at your face! Oh no, big bad Zack is gonna get me!" Zack mocked, "You look like you're gonna wet your pants!"

Cody frowned deeply, "Can we show something that doesn't make me look like a scaredy-cat?"

"And one that doesn't get me killed?" London spoke up from her position leaning against Maddie.

"Uh, sure," Emma hit a few more buttons, "Oh, this is one I think you'll like, London. It's from James Doyle's _It Came From the Bilges_."

_Meanwhile, in the cabin where London and Bailey had been quarantined below decks, London examined herself in a mirror. Her physiology had begun to return to normal, and at present, she sported one cobra eye, and one brown eye._

_"Ugh," reviled London. "Green is definitely not my color."_

_Bailey laughed. "Don't worry, you'll be back to your beautiful old self before you know it."_

_"Yeah, I guess you're right," said London. She then stood up out of her bottom bunk and leaned against her roommate's top bunk. "I don't think you've ever called me beautiful before."_

_"Haven't I? Well, I should've."_

London looked over her shoulder to Bailey, who covered her face with her hands. Everyone could see Bailey's ears were a bright pink she was blushing so hard.

"So you do notice girls," Jessica said with a smile while walking her fingers over Bailey's shoulder to twirl a lock of the farm girl's hair, "Good to know."

"And now for something completely different," Emma said shooting another jealous glare at Jessica, "We have a take on Frankenstein in Wyntirsno's _Arwinstein On the Loose_."

_"What! What do you mean he's holding my Mom hostage?" Zack yelled._

_"Oh no!" Cody said in the background. "How could he do that, I thought he liked our Mom?"_

_"Esteban, we're coming home," said Zack, "we will be there as soon as we can."_

_"Ok little blonde peoples I will see you soon." Esteban said._

_"Mrs. Martin, I am officer Thomas. I need you to remain calm and tell me where the monster is right now." Captain Thomas said to her._

_"I am calm, is there something I need to know about?" Carrey asked, a little fear creeping into her voice. "Arwinstein is in the dining area watching over me like he's afraid I will disappear."_

_As Carey was yelling at Esteban, she noticed that Arwinstein had gotten up from the table and was moving towards her. He also looked like he was starting to get agitated. The more she and the 2 men yelled thru the door the more upset he seemed to get._

_"Uh Esteban, Arwinstein looks like he doesn't like all the yelling." Carey yelled. "I think we better… ahhhh!"_

_"Carey!" Esteban yelled._

_"Ok that's it, I'm going in." Shouted Captain Thomas._

"Dramatic," Emma said excitedly into the microphone, "Lots of good stuff happening there."

"Yes," Esteban agreed from the back, "We finally got to see one of my speaking parts!"

Arwin spoke up too, "And I got to wear that cool costume. I'm planning on handing out candy in it this year…only I'm going to spice it up and add my rocket skates! That way I'll be able to hand out candy to twice the kids in half the time!"

"You were actually quite intimidating in that costume, Arwin," Carey complimented.

Arwin scuffed his shoes along the floor and rubbed his head. "Aw, thanks Carey," he said bashfully, "It was nice to stretch out of my comfort zone to play a monster."

Just then another clip began to play. One that Emma hadn't added to the list and caused her to blush furiously as the audience let out wolf-whistles and exclamations of appreciation.

_Emma smiled. She had been stared at a lot that evening and she couldn't say she hadn't enjoyed it. The costume had been rather simple to assemble really. A daringly cut red-dress, some purple opera gloves and a Veronica Lake hairstyle had made her into a living, breathing Jessica Rabbit._

"Yowza!" Zack shouted, "Lookin' good Miss Tut!"

"Wow," Bailey whispered, she couldn't peel her eyes from the screen.

This time it was Jessica shooting a jealous look at Emma. "She is rather pretty," she grudgingly admitted. "For an older woman," she added.

"How did that get in there?" Emma wondered aloud.

"I'm afraid that was my doing," Mr. Moseby spoke up from the front of the audience, "Since you were kind enough to take on running this circus I thought I would add in that clip from Lodylodylody's _Stronger Then Magic_ to show everyone you deserve to be appreciated for more than just your administrative skills. I believe it's safe to say they're seeing you in a whole new light, Emma."

Emma blushed nearly as dark as her hair as she caught more than a few appraising glances from men and women alike, Mr. Moseby's adoring gaze among them, and decided she wouldn't even be mad at him for surprising her like this.

"Well, that's all I have to show you," Emma spoke as she fought down her blush, "There are a lot of different types of story we get dragged into for this Halloween collection. Some wild and dark, others sweet and romantic, but all of them centered around Halloween themes. This year we've got some returning authors and hopefully some new ones. Undoubtedly we'll be put through the ringer. It won't always be easy, but as you know it will be rewarding. Now, who's in?"

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_**A/N: **Alright peoples, this marks the beginning of the **Tricks and Treats: The 2010 Halloween Collection**! You should all be cheering and clapping (and reviewing). Everyone who reads this is encouraged to participate by submitting a story of their own for the collection to **Lodylodylody**, we'd love to have some fresh faces join up. If you're interested in contributing PM **Lodylodylody **expressing that interest and receive details about how you can become a part of this awesome collection. Enjoy the stories and have fun this holiday season! _

_And remember that the story excerpts used in this introduction are from last year's original **Halloween: Tricks and Treats Collection**...found on **woundedhearts**' profile page._


	2. James Doyle

_Disclaimer: This story is not a theological treatise, and is not intended to adhere to any religion's view of the afterlife, nor does it necessarily reflect the theological views of the author._

**To Hell and Back**

**By**

**James Doyle**

_Kola Peninsula_

_Murmansk Oblast, Russia_

A Tipton Industries helicopter touched down outside a lone complex amidst the Russian tundra in the early morning hours of October 31. The passengers raised their hoods and braced themselves against the cold as they debarked, where an attractive blond Russian military officer awaited them.

"Good morning," greeted the officer. "I'm Colonel Matryoshka, and I will be your guide for this tour of the Kola Superdeep Bore Hole."

"Matryoshka?" echoed Cody.

"Yes," confirmed the colonel. "You may be familiar with my cousin Sasha, the junior chess champion."

"Nope, never heard of her!" Cody denied quickly.

"Hmm," responded the colonel. "Very well. This way, please."

"Tell me again why we're out here freezing butts off and not dancing ourselves silly at a Halloween party," grumbled London.

"It's the only day the Russian authorities could accommodate us," explained Cody.

"And Cody did win the contest to pick the topic for the fall semester educational tour," added Marion Moseby.

"So we took in enough radiation to make our grandkids glow in the dark at the Chernobyl site," contributed Emma Tutweiller.

"And saw a bunch of rusting military hardware at Murmansk," volunteered Zack.

"And now," concluded London, "We're going to see a big hole in the ground!"

"I can't believe you guys aren't excited to see the hole to hell," interjected Woody.

"Woody, for the last time," pleaded Tutweiller. "The hole does not go to hell. It's just a really deep hole."

"It does, too!" insisted Woody. "I found a whole website about it. They have audio clips of the damned crying out in agony."

"Oh yes, because it would _impossible _to fake something like that!" snarked Cody, starting to find even his own enthusiasm mitigated by Woody's absurdness and London's whining. Determined to derive at least some enjoyment from the experience, he tried his best to ignore his brother Zack, bringing up the rear hand-in-hand with his new girlfriend Maya.

"We're here," declared Colonel Matryoshka, opening the door and showing the group into the drilling complex.

Once inside, Cody surveyed the rig with wonder, taking pictures of everything he saw.

"Cody, I really don't think you should be prancing around like that," warned Tutweiller.

"It's perfectly safe," assured Matryoshka. "The armature, cables, and controls have been removed. The only thing that remains is the main shaft."

"So there's no chance we could slip and fall into hell?" Woody asked incredulously.

The colonel laughed. "That is an urban legend perpetuated by religious fanatics. The hole only penetrates about a third of the way through the earth's crust. Deposits of water, hydrogen, and temperatures of up to three hundred degrees Fahrenheit have been recorded, but nothing biblical or poetic. Besides, the bore is only twenty-one centimeters, or eight inches wide."

"See, Woody," added London. "You wouldn't even be able to get your huge head down the hole."

"Hurtful!" protested Woody.

"Yeah, and I don't think Cody's ego would fit, either," snickered Zack.

"I heard that," called Cody, not looking up from his picture-taking.

Just then, the ground began to shake. All except Cody braced themselves against the wall, who continued filming as an aperture formed around the central shaft and began to widen, causing heat and gases to escape. Shortly thereafter, the central shaft sank rapidly into the hole, leaving and open pit from whence even more heat and gas emanated, accompanied by a ghostly red glow.

"We need to evacuate," commanded Colonel Matryoshka.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Cody had just started out the door behind him, when the ground shook again, causing him to lose his footing. He tumbled backwards and fell into the hole, clinging to the edge for the dear life.

"Help me!" pleaded Cody.

"I'm coming!" yelled Bailey, rushing to his rescue.

Bailey took hold of Cody's and attempted to pull him up. However, the ground surrounding the hole began to collapse into it, causing Bailey to lose her grip, with Moseby and Tutweiller barely able to pull her to safety by her legs. They could only look on in horror as Cody's sustained scream became fainter with distance until it faded away.

Some time later, Cody had stopped screaming and begun calculating as he continued to free fall.

"Let's see," he pondered. "Accelerating at nine-point-eight meters per seconds-squared, over a distance of fourteen thousand meters...I should've hit bottom by now. What's taking so long?"

No sooner had Cody said that than the hole opened up into a vastly wider expanse. Managing to flip himself over, he found himself falling toward a seemingly-infinite layer of dark red thunderclouds, pierced at various points by volcanic plumes. After passing through the clouds, he had little time to survey what lie beneath them before coming to an abrupt stop.

"Argh, son of a..." groaned Cody in reaction to the intense throbbing pain in every single part of his body, including a few he didn't know he had.

When the pain subsided enough that he could think straight, Cody determined his face to be in contact with the familiar wooden deck of the _S.S. Tipton, _onto which he'd done far more face-plants than he would've cared to admit. As he turned his head slightly, he could identify the outboard safety rails and the staircase leading up to the Fiesta Deck.

"Oh, thank goodness," Cody muttered to himself. "It was all just a bad dream."

As Cody slowly rose to his feet however, he discovered this not to be the case. The décor of the Sky Deck had taken on a much more lavish Victorian flavor. As he looked out over the rail, he could see the layer of dark red clouds through which he'd fallen, which extended for some distance over the red, bubbling sea. Upon further analysis, he determined that the sea contained not water, but...could it be...blood.

Taking in the sounds of the realm, Cody realized he wasn't alone. The bubbling of the sea and countless faint-but-distinct screams of agony provided the ambient noise. In addition, every so often, a person would fall screaming through the sky and into the sea. Before he could fully process this, a hideous figure, too battered and burned to be identifiable as human, climbed up over the railing and seized Cody, attempting to pull him over.

Cody fought desperately to gain the advantage, but it seemed inevitable that the monster would drag him under. No sooner had he concluded this than a whip made of fire came around from behind him and severed the creature's hands, causing it to fall back into the sea.

"Don't worry," said the female voice behind Cody as she took her place beside him, taking the two severed hands and tossing them back into the sea.

"Why?" asked Cody, the only word his mouth could form in his morbidly terrified state.

"Duh, so I can cut them off again," answered the woman.

As Cody turned to face his rescuer, as it were, he saw a young Hispanic woman, clad in an elegant red dress that showed just a bit more cleavage than he'd have considered decent, and her dark brown hair piled elaborately atop her head, with a lock falling on each side of her face. He identified her form as that of a young woman his brother Zack had pursued for a short time. Yet, he somehow doubted this was actually her.

"I'm guessing you're not really Alex Russo," observed Cody.

"No, of course not," confirmed the woman. "Much of what you experience in this place is of your own making."

"And what place might this be?" asked Cody, starting to piece it together for himself.

"It's been known by many names," answered the woman. "Sheol, Gehenna, Hades, the Netherworld, Perdition..."

"You mean to say we're in _Hell_?" asked Cody, coming to the conclusion he'd pieced together, but still quite incredulous.

The woman smiled and clapped. "There's that genius-level IQ!"

"Well, yes," Cody boasted. "Though I must admit, out of many academic pursuits, I've not had much energy to devote to the study of theology."

The woman laughed. "Oh, Cody! You were always so full of yourself. I always liked that about you."

"Liked that about me?" echoed Cody. "You know me?"

"Of course I do," answered the woman. "I've had my eye on you for some time."

At last, Cody put all the pieces together.

"Oh my God!" cried Cody, being well-past the point of minced oaths. "You're...you're..."

"Yeah, yeah, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Satan, the Adversary, the Accuser," the Devil said nonchalantly. "For hell's sake, I wish you mortals would just pick one!"

At that, Cody closed his eyes and crossed his fingers.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" asked the Devil with a hint of a chuckle.

"You're not real," said Cody. "None of this is real. There is no heaven; there is no hell. This is all just a bad dream."

The Devil laughed uncontrollably at that remark.

"You're of course referring to my masterpiece," noted the Devil.

"What's that?" asked Cody, determining that sheer willpower wasn't going to get him out of this.

"My greatest feat ever," elaborated the Devil. "Convincing the world that I don't exist!"

"People believe you exist," argued Cody. "Bailey does, Maddie Fitzpatrick does, Moseby does, and I'm pretty sure London does, too."

"Oh, sure, there are a few hold-outs," granted the Devil. "But there are enough people blindly following the path to ruin that I manage to get a steady stream of souls."

"Of course!" cried Cody. "Everybody's been annoyed with me lately for some reason, and they're all trying to teach me a lesson. This is all an elaborate hoax."

"A hoax, you say?" said the Devil, playing along for the moment.

"And you really are Alex Russo," continued Cody, "And they somehow talked you into going along with this scheme."

"Okay, you're clearly not getting this," grumbled the Devil.

"Path to ruin," chuckled Cody. "How cheesy can you get!"

With that, the Devil's attractive female head turned into a dragon's head made of fire, and jumped into Cody's face.

"Does _this _look like a big joke to you?" shouted the Devil, her voice lower in pitch with reverb.

"No, no!" cowered Cody. "You really are the Devil! I believe you! Honest!"

The Devil returned to her attractive female form, maintaining the fire in her eyes.

"I was hoping not to have to resort to such theatrics," lamented the Devil, her voice having returned to that of Alex Russo, but retaining its reverb.

"Okay, okay," conceded Cody. "So you were telling me about how I was on the path to ruin."

The Devil laughed again. "Do you really think I'd have gone to such lengths to acquire you if all I wanted was to make another swimmer out of you?"

Cody donned a puzzled look at that last statement.

"Swimmers," repeated the Devil. "You know, damned souls, swimming in the sea of blood, boiling for all eternity? Work with me, here!"

"Right," acknowledged Cody. "Sorry."

"As I was saying," continued the Devil. "I've brought you here for a special purpose."

"What purpose?" asked Cody.

"All in good time," assured the Devil. "Before we get down to business, I'd like to give you my personal tour."

"Lead the way," requested Cody, sensing that this tour was non-optional.

"As you may have guessed," narrated the Devil as she escorted Cody through the luxury suites, "The _S.S. Screwtape _is my personal residence and headquarters at those times in which I'm sailing the Sea of Blood. It's also the eternal home of the more...how shall I say...exceptional souls in my dominion."

"The ones you like to torment yourself," deduced Cody.

"Exactly," affirmed the Devil. "Let's start with the Presidential Suite."

"Nein, nein, _nein!" _cried a short, mustachioed fellow as he scattered the tokens on the map in front of him.

"Da, da, _da!" _cried a taller fellow with a fuller mustache as he reset the pieces with great frustration.

"You made Hitler and Stalin roommates," observed Cody.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" gloated the Devil. "They do a fine job of tormenting one another. All I have to do is sit back and watch. Moving on."

The next stop was the lounge, where the guests writhed in agony as their chains prevented them from covering the ears, forcing them to endure Tiny Tim's repeated performance of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." From there, they proceeded to the bar, where a crowd of drunkards with frothy mugs forced a tall, muscular fellow to perform parlor tricks for them.

"That guy looks familiar," noted Cody.

"His name's Gaston," explained the Devil. "He was a member of my senior staff, but I had to demote him for his incompetence. But we'll get to that later. So tell me, Cody: What are your accomplishments?"

"Accomplishments?" asked Cody.

"Yeah," said the Devil. "You know, science fair ribbons, essay contest prizes, citizenship awards. You do have a few of those right?"

"Well, I don't like to brag..." began Cody.

"Yes you do," interrupted the Devil. "Rubbing your success in others' faces is your favorite activity."

"Well," said Cody indignantly. "I wasn't expecting a Spanish Inquisition."

At that moment, a figure in red robes burst out of one of the cabin doors.

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" declared the priest.

The Devil groaned. "Cody, this Cardinal Ximenez, head of the Pharisee Corps. Cardinal, this Cody Martin."

"Ah, yes," said Ximenez, drawing out his final s. "The new recruit."

"New recruit?" asked Cody.

"Cardinal!" admonished the Devil. "Don't give away the surprise."

"Sorry," whimpered the Cardinal, clearly fearing whatever rebuke the fallen angel had in store for him. "My bad."

"Don't give me excuses," rebuked the Devil. "I want Fred Phelps and his brood, so get back to work!"

"Right away," obeyed Ximenez, returning to his cell.

"Now, then," continued the Devil. "I think that'll do it for the tour. What do you say we get down to business?"

With that, the Devil led Cody through a set of heavy wooden doors, which she cast open with a wave of her hands, and did likewise shutting the doors behind them. Once inside, Cody found himself in a lavishly-decorated room – the most luxurious on the ship – with a long wooden table in the center, filled to the brim with gourmet foods, and a number of musical instruments on the other end, one of which was a harpsichord, from which eerie-yet-elegant Baroque music played.

"Ira, don't you ever tire of playing that tune?" whined an all-too-familiar voice.

"Silence, you little piss-ant!" threatened the one playing the music, an African-American fellow in a powdered wig and American Colonial period dress, whom Cody identified as the form of Moseby. "Or I shall tear you into tiny morsels and feed you to the serpents."

"Yeah, yeah," dismissed the young man, who took the form of Zack's brother Cody, clad in a robe with unkempt hair. "Just play something different."

Ira growled. "Very well."

With that, Ira began playing a much more contemporary tune, one Cody was much more accustomed to hearing played on guitar, and someone began to sing.

_I see a red door and _

_I want it painted black_

_No colors anymore_

_I want it painted black_

_I see the girls walk by_

_Dressed in their summer clothes_

_I have to turn my head_

_Until the darkness goes_

As the group got up and danced, Cody began to identify the rest of them. Clad in a typical designer outfit and adorned head-to-toe with bling was London Tipton. Clad in an Imperial Russian peasant woman's costume was Emma Tutweiller. Finally identifying the source of the singing, Cody saw his father, Kurt Martin, clad in tight leather pants and a matching vest. The only person not dancing was Woody, chewing on an enormous leg of mutton and clad in a toga, covered in the front with a lobster bib.

As the song finished, everyone except Cody and Ira cheered.

"Ah, come on, Groucho," goaded Kurt. "Don't you ever crack a smile?"

"I'll be smiling the day I pull your bottom lip up over your head," barked Ira.

"What's going on here?" demanded Cody. "Are all my friends and family damned, too?"

"Oh, relax," groaned the Devil. "They're all alive and well and probably still trying to figure out how to pull you up out of that hole."

"Then who are these people?" asked Cody.

"I was getting to that," answered the Devil. "Cody, I would like you to meet my Privy Council."

The Devil walked over to Moseby's figure first.

"This is Ira," she introduced, "My Secretary of Anger."

She then moved over to Woody, not interrupting his feast as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"This is Gula, Lord of the Gluttons."

Next, she introduced Kurt. "This is Luxuria, Chief Purveyor of Lust."

"I always thought that one would be a girl," interjected Cody.

"Most people do," noted Luxuria.

The Devil then introduced Zack. "This is Socordia the Shiftless, in charge of sloth."

Next came London. "This is Avaritia, the Matriarch of Greed."

Finally, the Devil introduced Tutweiller. "And this is Invidia the Ungrateful, my Minister of Envy."

"Ah, yes, of course," observed Cody. "The Seven Deadly Sins. Except, you left one out."

"Yes," acknowledged the Devil. "Do tell, Cody, which one was it?"

"Pride," Cody declared. "The deadliest of all sins, the sin from whence all others flow."

"Quite right," affirmed the Devil. "And why, do you suppose, I left that one out?"

"Well," speculated Cody. "London fits the bill pretty well for that one. She must be pulling double duty.

"Wrong!" shouted the Devil, causing Cody to jump back a foot.

"Okay," whimpered Cody. "Why, then?"

"You remember Gaston, right?" asked the Devil.

Cody nodded.

"Such a temper!" recalled Ira.

"Wouldn't lift a finger to do anything for himself," added Socordia.

"Never enough wealth or power for him," contributed Avaritia.

"Are you kidding?" argued Invidia. "He always wanted more of _everything!_"

"Yeah," agreed Gula with his mouth full. "All this food was never enough for him."

"I'll tell you what, though," noted Luxuria. "He got all the hot chicks."

"And yet," concluded the Devil, "He just wasn't up to the task."

"How so?" asked Cody.

"Look at the world you left," explained the Devil. "People are being more kind, charitable, humble, hard-working, moderate, and patient than ever. Not necessarily more chaste, though. " The Devil looked over at Luxuria. "Nice work."

Luxuria smiled. "I do my worst."

"But you," said the Devil to Cody, keeping her hands on his shoulders as she circled around him. "You, Cody Martin, are a prime candidate to be my new second-in-command."

"I don't know what you're talking about," denied Cody.

"Don't you?" argued the Devil. "Was it not you who developed the Six Month Plan?"

Cody grinned. "A meticulously-crafted piece if I do say so myself."

"Indeed," agreed the Devil. "Bailey would have been yours if you'd just asked her out. But of course, you couldn't allow that. That would place her on equal footing with you. No, you had to be in control of the situation. You had to know exactly what buttons to push so you could bend her to your will."

"It wasn't like that!" protested Cody.

"Oh, but it was!" insisted the Devil. "Only she wasn't so easily controlled. So you did the next worst thing: You made her fight for dominance in the relationship; drew her into your obsession with being the undisputed master of everything. In so doing, you drew her away from her family and friends; made her abandon everything she held dear in order to hold onto you. Thus, you led her down the path of destruction."

"If if that were true," argued Cody. "And I'm not saying it is, it didn't work. She broke up with me. She ripped out my heart, stomped on it, and threw it off the deck of the Eiffel Tower."

"Very good," approved the Devil. "A true master of the proud must never accept his own responsibility. No matter the evidence to the contrary, he must always lay the blame upon the shoulders of others."

"It was her fault!" insisted Cody.

"Excellent," praised the Devil. "After all, you planned the perfect anniversary date for her, to show her that you are the epitome of the perfect man. The fact that she would've preferred a much simpler affair only shows her lack of appreciation for your greatness."

"That's not why I did that!" protested Cody.

"And then you took on an apprentice," continued the Devil, ignoring Cody's protest. "You counseled your brother to do as you did, to manipulate Maya to do his bidding as you did with Bailey."

"That's not what I was doing," said Cody. "And anyway, it didn't work."

"No, of course not," noted the Devil. "For as hard as we have tried to lead Zack down the path of ruin, deep in his heart, he's a man of virtue. I fear he may be lost to us."

"You leave my brother alone!" demanded Cody.

"You needn't worry about him," assured the Devil. "He always does the right thing in the end. But what of your beloved Bailey?"

"Why should I care about her?" remarked Cody.

The Devil laughed. "Do you really think you can deceive the Mother of Lies? No, I know that deep in your heart, you still care for her. It sickens me, but because your potential to lead others astray is so great, I'm willing to offer you a deal."

"What kind of a deal?" asked Cody.

"Time is fluid here in Perdition," explained the Devil. "Only a brief moment has passed on the surface. Your beloved Bailey is poised even now to dive in after you."

"She wouldn't," hoped Cody.

"I assure you," argued the Devil. "She would. And anyone who voluntarily enters my domain is mine to do with as I please. Of course, I could could be persuaded to close up the hole and prevent her from doing such a thing."

"In exchange for what?" asked Cody.

"Isn't it obvious?" said the Devil. "Take your place in my council as Superbia, the Supreme Leader of the Proud, and I'll spare her life."

A flame appeared in the Devil's hand, which coalesced into a scroll. She cleared a spot off the table by shoving the food thereupon unto the floor, and unfurled the scroll before Cody.

"Could you translate that for me?" requested Cody.

"Quit stalling," demanded the Devil. "I know you can read Latin."

Cody nodded, and quickly scanned the document. According to the text, Cody would receive an appointment as Satan's Secretary of Pride, which he would retain on the basis of performance reviews, to be conducted at the Devil's discretion. However, he could be demoted at any time, and no matter what, his soul would belong to Satan for eternity.

He contemplated the risk. The Devil had correctly pointed out that Cody still cared for Bailey. He wanted to guarantee her safety. Alas, he knew could not. Signing the scroll would complete the journey to ruin he now realized he'd been traveling for so long. He knew that he would do Bailey no justice by leading countless other down that path.

"No," refused Cody. "I won't do it. This ends now."

The Devil sighed. "As you wish."

Two tall, muscular demons, who took the form of Becky Muldoon and Brick, the middle school bully, picked Cody up and carried him up above decks.

"I gave you a chance to take your pride and be a master of souls," lamented the Devil. "But since you refused, I'll have to content myself with seeing you stripped of your vanity over the course of eternity in the sea of blood."

"Not so fast!" interrupted a familiar voice.

"Bailey!" cried Cody, looking up to see his ex-girlfriend, her battered and burned form slowly returning to normal.

"Seize her!" ordered the Devil.

"I just swam two hundred miles through the dregs of humanity," retorted Bailey. "Do you really think you two goons scare me?"

With that, the two demons dropped Cody and took off in the other direction. Instinctively, Cody pushed past the Devil and took his place behind Bailey.

"Do you really think that just because you intimidated a couple of my underlings that you could defeat me, the Princess of Darkness?" provoked the Devil.

"Cody's already put me through hell," answered Bailey. "I can handle anything you can throw at me."

"We'll see about that," declared the Devil as she took on the form of a dragon, devouring Cody and Bailey.

As she reached the Sky Deck, however, Cody and Bailey burst forth from her gut, seemingly unscathed by the fire that poured therefrom. Not to be deterred, the Devil shot up into the sky, transforming into an enormous, terrifying color wheel, which shot every conceivable assault at the former couple, from knives, to spears, to bullets, to lava rocks, to small tactical nukes.

Ultimately, it proved futile. It appeared to the Devil that nothing could assail Cody and Bailey as they held onto one another for dear life. Eventually, the Devil relented, resuming her female form.

"So what?" the Devil asked in frustration. "Are you two just going to keep holding onto each other for eternity?"

"If we have to," answered Bailey.

"You've been trying to tear us apart for past two years," discovered Cody. "You knew that Bailey was the only thing keeping me from crossing over to the dark side."

The Devil nodded. "And I thought I'd succeeded in Paris, but apparently, you two have been carrying a torch for each other all along."

Cody cupped Bailey's face in his hands and gazed into her eyes. "I never should have let you go. I should've gone down on my knees and begged you not to leave. I should've given you my solemn promise to grow, and change, and be the man you deserve."

"None of that matters anymore," responded Bailey. "Even if we have to spend eternity here, at least we'll know that nothing she does can ever tear us apart."

"I love you, Bailey," confessed Cody.

"I love you, too, Cody," reciprocated Bailey. With that, they embraced so tightly that nothing in hell or earth could come between them.

"Ugh," reviled the Devil. "If I have to watch this for all eternity, I'll be punishing _myself!"_

"Wait," said Cody, "Does that mean..."

"Loathe as I am do this, yes," interrupted the Devil, stirring up a tempest that sucked the couple up through the clouds.

"Be good to each other," called the Devil after them. "I don't want to see you here again."

When the smoke and fire cleared, Cody and Bailey found themselves hanging from a ledge just a few feet below the mouth of the bore hole, into which a chain had been lowered.

"Grab hold," called Colonel Matryoshka.

Cody and Bailey did as instructed, and a crane hoisted them out of the hole. A group of medics escorted the two battered, soot-covered friends onto a pair of stretchers, which carried them into a helicopter, and lifted them off to a nearby medical facility.

About a day later, Cody woke up in the infirmary of the _S.S. Tipton_, with Bailey occupying the bed next to them.

"Bailey?" he called weakly.

"It's okay, baby," she assured, extending her hand across the gulf to take his. "I'm here."

"Oh, thank God, you're alive," cried Cody. "We're alive."

"Yes," agreed Bailey. "We are."

"Going to hell isn't usually the sort of thing you live to tell about," noted Cody.

"Cody," said Bailey. "There's something you should know. The bore hole opened up, and you fell in. Against the Colonel's advice, I went in after you."

"Yes," acknowledged Cody. "And I can never adequately thank you for that."

"What you don't know," continued Bailey, "Is Miss Tutweiller told me the reason the hole open up is a small earthquake exposed a gas pocket. We were knocked unconscious for a few minutes, but near as anyone can tell, neither of us actually went to hell."

Cody turned to face Bailey. "Do you really believe that?"

Bailey shook her head. "I honestly don't know."

"It doesn't matter," declared Cody. "What matters is I realize now how horribly I treated you. And no matter how sorry I am, nothing I say can ever change that."

"What you say is true," granted Bailey. "But that doesn't mean I can't forgive you, and it doesn't mean we can't move forward."

"Does this mean there's still hope for us?" asked Cody.

Bailey pondered for a moment. "If we both get help, and work through our issues, then there just might be."

"Agreed," said Cody. "Though I somehow doubt Mr. Blanket is qualified to help us."

Bailey laughed. "Given what we've been through, I think the ship's chaplain might be more appropriate."

And thus began the healing process for Cody and Bailey. It would be exhausting and painful, and no one knew what the future held for their relationship. Yet, then and there, they knew that in whatever capacity, they would always been there for another: Whatever they would do, and wherever they would go, even to hell and back.

**The End**

Song Credit:

"Paint It, Black"

Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Originally performed by The Rolling Stones

From the album _Aftermath _(1966)

_The Kola Superdeep is a real bore hole in the Kola Peninsula, near the Norwegian border in the Russian arctic. It reaches a depth of 12 km (about 8 mi), where temperatures reach 180°C (300°F). There is an urban legend that claims the hole penetrated the Underworld. This claim has been thoroughly refuted by reputable religious and secular authorities._

_Thanks for reading! _

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '


	3. SilverTurtle

**Of Man and Monster**

by SilverTurtle

*****'*****

Bailey looked back with horror as her ex-boyfriend Cody was impaled with a spear but she did not stop running. Her heart pounded in her ears and grief tightened her gut but she knew she couldn't stop running.

Zack cried out his brother's name in anguish, turning back to face their pursuers.

Woody grabbed Zack by the back of his shirt and pulled, "Come on, man! We can't help him now! He's dead. Run!"

"Let's go!" Bailey called out as she charged forward through the lush jungle and dragging Zack's attention back to their flight. The machete in her hands had already tasted blood today, but she had no wish for it to do so again which would surely happen if they didn't keep moving.

She slashed at hanging vines, clearing a path as quickly as her cleaving arm would allow and ran. Leaping fallen logs and ducking hanging branches. The others followed in her wake as they sped through the dense growth.

Thwok!

Bailey came up short as a dart impaled the branch in front of her, "Horsefeathers!"

"Ah!" A painful cry reached her ears and she turned her head to see another of her friends fall to the ground.

"Woody's down!" Zack shouted, kneeling beside the larger boy. His hand reached out to check for a pulse and pulled back as he shook his head.

Bailey's eyes squeezed shut, tears threatening to fall, "Keep moving," she said hoarsely while turning to do just that.

Zack caught Bailey's arm and said worriedly, "There's no way they've caught up to us yet. That must have been a trap. We'll have to be more careful."

Bailey nodded and turned to take the lead again. Her eyes were peeled for any signs of traps and she carefully probed ahead with her machete. They still moved quickly, keeping low, desperate to escape these flesh maddened islanders.

***'***

_Four Hours Ago_

The _S.S. Tipton_ had docked on a quiet little island for some peace and relaxation. It was Halloween back in the states and everyone wanted to celebrate, but not with costumes and candy. Instead they wanted a party and this little island was the perfect spot for it.

The staff and most of the passengers had immediately spread out on the beach while locals welcomed them with a feast and entertainment.

Bailey, Cody, Zack, and Woody had opted to explore the island and taken up one local's offer of a guided tour. They had asked London along but she had scoffed and stretched out on her beach chair, clearly choosing tanning over adventure.

The guide showed them many local landmarks; waterfalls, strangely shaped boulders, massive trees, and some marks of wildlife. It had all been very interesting for Bailey and Cody, each scientifically minded individuals and very keen on learning more about this environment and debating which species had left this scat pile or that footprint.

But Zack and Woody had quickly grown bored. They had struck off on their own down a path the guide had told them was expressly forbidden. Cody and Bailey were forced to follow them to drag them back, but the guide would not go with them. He had shook with fear and turned ashen pale as he recounted a tale of demons and death, about how those that took that path never returned. He handed Cody his machete and fled back to his village and the safety of his people.

Cody had looked at the blade in his hands and scoffed, "Demons, yeah right. Probably just some wild animals got unprepared travelers." He tossed the machete on the ground and went after his brother and Woody. Bailey stared after him for a moment. He had just mentioned wild animals attacking humans and he threw his only weapon away? Either he was extremely confident or extremely stupid and Bailey wasn't sure which one would be worse in this situation.

With an odd sense of foreboding she took up the machete and followed after him. She didn't like the feel of the jungle here. It had been different closer to the village, lighter and more pleasant. But as she stepped further down this path the jungle seemed to change. It grew darker, and there were no animal sounds…not even crickets chirped. As a raised hunter, taught by her father and uncles, she knew that silence is not a good sign. It either means predators are in the area, which she supposed their presence could be, or there were no animals around to make the noise. She didn't like either option.

Still, they couldn't leave Zack and Woody to their own devices in an unfamiliar jungle. They could get themselves killed.

Somehow Woody and Zack had disappeared completely from view. Cody stood in the middle of the path with a perplexed look on his face, "We should have caught up to them by now. They weren't that far ahead of us."

Bailey stepped beyond him and turned her eyes to the path and its sides, looking for any tracks. "Look," she pointed to some depressions in the ground, "They came this far, at least. Let's keep going."

Cody ceded Bailey the lead position. With no tracking skills to speak of he knew he wouldn't be much use in front.

Bailey tread forward cautiously, the machete held in front of her and her eyes checking the trail for tracks and the jungle for movement. They were silent as they walked, the oppressive atmosphere building nervous tension in them.

"RAAH!" A thing jumped out of the bushes before them.

Cody shrieked and Bailey swung her weapon, reacting instinctively, just barely managing to stop her swing before striking as she realized it was Woody in front of her. He held up his hands, his eyes wide as the blade stopped just beside his neck.

Zack popped out from behind Woody laughing, "Oh man! You should have seen your faces!" He walked up to his brother and slapped him on the back, "Nice screaming there, Codes, real manly."

"You almost killed me!" Woody squeaked.

Bailey lowered the weapon in her hand and said, "Well you shouldn't have surprised me like that!"

"Did you see that?" Woody looked to the twins, "She almost killed me!"

Zack grinned, looking Bailey up and down with approval, "I like you better every day."

"Hey!" Woody protested, "Not nice."

Bailey felt her lip curl as she rolled her eyes. Zack's playful come-ons had gotten more frequent lately, a certain freedom being given his tongue now that Bailey wasn't his brother's girlfriend, but Bailey was not interested. She'd dated one Martin and was not eager to try her luck with the other, no matter how charming he thought himself. "Ugh, whatever. Let's just go."

"No way!" Zack said, "Look around! There's so much to see. We can't go back yet!" He argued persuasively, "You know there's got to be something good back here if visitors are told to stay away."

Woody nodded his agreement. Cody looked thoughtful, "The guide did say that there were demons down this way. No doubt a cautionary tale told to children to keep them from wandering off or traveling this path."

"He also said that people disappeared never to be heard from again," Bailey pointed out.

"Nonsense," Cody dismissed, "Demons don't exist. Disappearing people are just part of the myth. Like the boogieman. I say we keep going. Find whatever it is they don't want us to find."

"Yeah," Zack said, "There's probably gold and jewels and stuff in a cave. Let's go!"

He charged up the path with Woody hot on his heels and Cody following sedately after. Cody paused to look back at her, "You coming?"

Bailey briefly considered leaving them and going back and if they got themselves killed it was their own fault for being stupid. But she was the only person with a weapon in case they got into trouble and she didn't want to see any of them hurt so she reluctantly nodded and followed along. She kept a tight grip on the machete at all times.

***'***

They walked for a long time. The path twisted in on itself several times and became confusing. Almost like the jungle was rearranging itself around them. Bailey wasn't the only one who noticed. Zack's enthusiasm for this adventure had waned and now he was watching their path and the trees as carefully as Bailey was. Cody and Woody didn't appear to know anything was amiss.

"Hold up, guys," Zack said. He paced ahead of their group and studied the ground. "Bailey, come look at this."

She went over to him and knelt, eyes scanning the earth. "These are our tracks," she said quietly, worry creeping into her tone, "but we haven't been going in circles. I've been marking the trees. Look," she gestured around them, "there are no marks."

Zack peered at a tree nearby. He went up to it and examined the bark. His fingers reached out and plucked out a notch of bark, "Held on with sap or something. We've been led in circles."

All four of them drew closer together and looked around the suddenly ominous trees. There was something…someone out there playing with them.

"So," Cody said full of bluster, "We just go back." He marched back the way they'd come but was halted by the appearance of grim faced men emerging all around them, primitive spears pointing in their direction. Their camouflage had been excellent, mud smeared haphazardly on their bodies, leaves tied to their heads and limbs; they'd blended perfectly into the jungle. Zack and Bailey had never seen them, never heard them, and somehow they'd managed to silently surround the group.

One of the mud men jutted his chin and pointed his spear, and obvious indication that they were to continue down the path.

The teens were marched along in the center of a ring of spears. It didn't take long before they were in the center of a village of huts. They looked around frightened, none of them had missed the skulls on pikes arranged around the perimeter or that many of the village people wore bones dangling from their bodies…there was even a young man gnawing on what Cody and Bailey recognized as a human femur.

Cannibals.

They'd been captured by cannibals. Bailey felt revulsion and she shuddered, every hair on her body stood on end and she gripped the weapon in her hand more tightly. They had to escape. If they didn't make a break for it soon they'd be too far into the village to do so and they'd be dead.

She looked to Zack who caught her eyes and nodded just slightly. He was thinking the same thing.

All of her muscles tensed and adrenalin flooded her system as she ruthlessly forced back her panic. They'd only have one shot at this.

Suddenly she and Zack turned at the same time, roaring defiance at their captors. Zack tackled one man while Bailey lifted her machete and brought it down on the head of a shocked guard, splitting him open and killing him instantly. As he fell he made a space for the others to run through and run they did. Bailey leapt over the freshly made corpse and the boys followed swiftly. Zack had wrested a spear from the man he'd tackled and used it to brutally bash the men to either side.

They fled into the jungle, running as fast as their legs would carry them.

Bailey was in front with Zack immediately behind her. Woody and Cody brought up the rear, neither of them being particularly athletic they were slowly falling behind. Though their adrenaline certainly helped them along it wouldn't be long before they couldn't sustain this pace.

Cody flagged first, pausing to catch his breath. The others slowed but didn't fully stop. Zack looked back, "Cody!" and he was about to yell for his brother to hurry up when a spear came sailing through the air and struck Cody crunching through his sternum and pinning him to the tree he was leaning against.

"CODY!" Zack screamed, the cry so chilling it momentarily stopped Bailey's heart. But she didn't stop running, she glanced back to confirm their loss and kept moving. Stopping meant death.

She heard Woody collect Zack and called out "Let's go!" She gripped her machete a little tighter and decided to deviate from the path to make it harder on their pursuers.

She hacked and slashed as she ran, clearing just enough space for herself and the boys to follow.

She ducked to avoid a low hanging branch when she was stopped short by a dart striking the limb in front of her face. "Horsefeathers!," she cursed and quickly knelt to make a smaller target.

"Ah!"

"Woody's down!" Zack called out. Bailey looked back to see Woody on the ground, darts peppering the side of his neck, and Zack checking his pulse and shaking his head.

Zack crept forward to Bailey's side as she shut her eyes and forced back her sorrow, "Keep moving."

He caught her arm, "There's no way they've caught up to us yet. That must have been a trap. We'll have to be more careful."

Bailey nodded and continued her machete checking their way as they cautiously wove through the jungle. They could hear the sounds of pursuit, frustrated shouts and rustling bushes, for quite a while as they sneakily crawled away.

***'***

"Hey, hey wait," Zack said, reaching out once more to grab Bailey and halt their progress. "Listen." He was silent as he turned his head all around. There was absolutely no noise. "They aren't following us anymore. I wonder why."

Cautiously they rose, standing to look around. There was something different about this part of the jungle. There were no paths, no signs of human passage, no animal sounds. Confused but still full of adrenaline and unwilling to relax they moved a little ways apart, checking things out.

"What is this? It stinks!" Zack plugged his nose and backed away from a large mound, poking it with the spear he still held.

Bailey approached and swiftly identified the pile, "This is scat."

"Like poop?" Zack asked, eyes wide as he took in the three foot tall pile again.

"From something big." Bailey confirmed, "Something big that eats meat. It looks just like cougar scat."

"No cougar made a pile of shit that big!" Zack said incredulously.

"No," Bailey confirmed, "but something like one did. And judging from this pile it's definitely a big animal. We should be careful."

"Because we were being so reckless before." Zack said sarcastically.

"Says the boy who went down the forbidden path hoping for treasure," Bailey riposted caustically, regretting it immediately as Zack's eyes darkened and both their thoughts turned to Woody and Cody. "Sorry."

Zack shook his head, "No. You're right. This is all my fault."

"Zack," Bailey put her hand on Zack's shoulder, "It's not. You didn't kill them."

"No," Zack whispered, "But I dragged us all out here and right into that trap and now Cody and Woody are dead! All because of me! Because I got bored!"

"Stop it!" Bailey slapped his face once, lightly. "Cody and Woody followed you because they wanted to, you didn't force them. We were all warned and we all ignored that warning. It's not your fault there are crazy cannibals out here."

Zack shook his head and shrugged off Bailey's hand, "Yeah, whatever. Doesn't bring either of them back." He stalked away deeper into the jungle.

Bailey kicked at a bush, frustrated and scared. She was sure Zack was just as frightened as she was, but his guilt was making him careless and separating was an enormously bad idea. Particularly when only one had a weapon. "Idiot," Bailey cursed and stomped her foot just once before following after him.

She broke into a run when she heard a shout and the crash of a falling tree, "Zack?"

Zack ran right into her and they both tumbled to the ground, their heads knocking together.

"I think I know why the cannibals didn't follow us and what made that giant shit pile," he said as he swiftly pushed himself up.

"What?" Bailey's bell had been rung when Zack's skull had collided with her own, she just barely caught what Zack had said.

"That!" Zack pointed to where a massive panther, one the size of a house, came growling out of the jungle. It's eyes locked on the two humans and it roared and pounced.

Zack and Bailey scrambled out of its way, breaking to either side. The jungle cat was momentarily confused as its prey split in two directions. It chose to follow Bailey, its attention drawn by her hair waving like a flag behind her.

"Hey ugly!" Zack's shout made the beast turn its head, only to catch a spear through its eye. "Yes!" Zack shouted as the giant cat reared up yowling, its paws scratching at its face. It drove the spear in deeper, broke the end off, and released another piecing yowl.

Mad with pain the beast lashed out. Its claws raked in front of it lightning fast. It caught both teens off-guard. Zack was slammed by the meat of the paw and sent flying to crash with a sickening snap against a tree. Bailey was further away and still scrambling with her back to the creature and its claws tore at her back, leaving three large gashes across her back.

She forced herself upright as the animal swung its head wildly and pawed at its damaged eye. She made it to Zack's side and found him dead, his neck obviously broken but a strangely serene smile on his face.

It was too much for her to bear. She'd seen three of her friends die right before her eyes, slain brutally for no good reason. Two, she knew, would become meals for grotesque and twisted people. And this last one had given everything he had to protect her. Bailey felt something break within her. She went hot all over and her body shook with rage and grief. She clutched the machete in her hand a little tighter and rose up. She turned to face the beast, the one thing she could actually take revenge on, and her whole being vibrated with energy fueled by her fear, her grief, and her fury.

With an animalistic scream that echoed through the jungle and pierced through the wounded beast's pain Bailey charged. She came at the animal from its blind side, it never saw her coming. She leapt, her machete out and poised to strike, and caught the monster in the neck. The beast reared and twisted, trying to dislodge Bailey, but she clung to its fur grimly lost in her berserker frenzy. She drove her weapon deeper, as deep as she could make it go, and forced it to slice through thick muscle and skin. Her emotions must have given her the strength of many as she was actually able to slash through the beast's neck, severing its artery and forcing it to collapse on top of her.

The creature lay in the circle of destruction its thrashing had caused, the light in its eyes fading as death claimed it.

For a time nothing moved.

Then, like some demented hell beast, Bailey clawed her way from beneath the creature covered in its blood and still gripping her blade.

She crawled over its lolling head and dropped to the ground with a heavy thump. She scrambled a few feet from the giant corpse and wretched. She heaved and groaned and heaved some more as she emptied her belly, made sick by the events of the day.

When she was finished and her heaves were clear of even bile she stood and wiped a bloody hand across her mouth.

Then she started walking.

She knew that behind her were the cannibals, the dead beast, and the corpses of her friends. Before her, she was certain, must lay the _S.S. Tipton_ and what remained of the people she knew. And she wanted off this island of death, away from the scenes of horror, away from the monster she herself had become to survive.

***'***

Darkness fell and she walked on, determined to make it back to the ship.

She walked blindly, stumbling over roots and tripping into hollows.

Suddenly she saw a light, the reassuring beam of a flashlight and heard people calling for her and for her fallen friends. She rushed towards whoever held that flashlight and knew she was close to her salvation.

When she stumbled from the undergrowth and directly into the shaft of light she heard a startled cry. She looked up, beyond the beam of the light, searching for the face of its bearer.

"Bailey?" she recognized that voice, Miss Tutweiller. Teacher. Friend. "Bailey, is that you? What happened? We've been searching for you all for hours!"

Bailey looked at the weapon in her hand and saw it covered in blood and dirt. She looked down at herself and saw she was an even bigger mess than the machete. There were tears in her clothes, cuts and scrapes that were bleeding and she could feel the burn of the wounds on her back, she was covered in dirt and bits of leaves. But she was alive.

"They're all dead," she whispered, her voice rough from yelling, from dryness, from grief.

"Here, drink this," Miss Tutweiller gave her a canteen of water, "I can't understand what you're saying."

Bailey chugged the water so quickly it spilled from her mouth and down the skin of her throat, washing away some of the blood and grime. While she was doing that Miss Tutweiller spoke into a hand held radio to report finding Bailey. When she had her fill she pulled the canteen away and gasped, she said with a hysterical edge, "They're dead. The boys are dead. Zack, Cody, Woody, all dead."

"What?" Miss Tutweiller asked, shocked, "How?"

Bailey slowly collapsed to her knees and sobbed. Miss Tutweiller followed her down and gently cradled her in her arms, shushing her and trying to soothe her. "We were on a trail, one the guide told us not to go on but you know Zack," her breath hitched, no one would know Zack again.

She related the whole harrowing tale to her stunned teacher and when she reached the end she clung tightly to the older woman hoping some of the grief and pain she was feeling would lift. Hoping to find the sense of comfort she so desperately needed.

Miss Tutweiller gripped Bailey just as tightly, for not so different reasons. Her tale had terrified the older woman, who now felt as if monsters were behind every bush and tree. She was devastated by knowing the fate of three of her students and further distressed over Bailey's condition. She knew the girl was not alright either physically or mentally and didn't know whether the young woman would ever be able to recover from this. She held Bailey and murmured comforting nothings to the teen as they waited for more searchers to arrive and help them back to the ship.

***'***

When help came and they were ushered back to the ship everyone was shocked at Bailey's appearance and at her story.

The staff and passengers got a bigger shock when a deckhand had tried to take the machete away from Bailey. The usually kind and polite girl had bared her teeth, snarled, and shoved the man away while the weapon had come up defensively in front of her and she had crouched, looking like a trapped wild animal. She growled fiercely at anyone who came too near.

"Bailey," Mr. Moseby had tried to reason with her, "It is ship policy that there are to be no weapons aboard the _S.S. Tipton_. Give that knife to the nice man here and then we can get you cleaned up."

Bailey had just slipped out of reach of the deckhand and stood facing them boldly.

Miss Tutweiller had snuck up beside her and gently taken Bailey's wrist in a light hold, "Bailey," she said softly.

Bailey's eyes had locked with her teacher's, and Miss Tutweiller was taken aback by the wide eyed wild look. Bailey looked feral, but she was entirely calm as she said "Miss Tutweiller, I saw my friends murdered today for no good reason and the only thing that kept me from being another victim was this," she turned the blade so it caught the light, then she glared out defiantly at Mr. Moseby and the deckhands, "I'm not letting go of the one thing that kept me alive. Ship policy be damned."

When it looked as though Moseby and the sailors would step forward to take the weapon by force Miss Tutweiller held up a quelling hand and gave Moseby a look when he would have protested. She stroked Bailey's wrist with her thumb and said, "Okay. You can keep it. Now let's get you cleaned up. You've had a long day and need to rest."

Bailey had meekly followed where Miss Tutweiller led, her weapon dangling uselessly from the hand her teacher had control of. The crowd parted before them and they passed by unchallenged again.

***'***

Mr. Moseby called in special forces maintained on Mr. Tipton's dime to retrieve the remains of the boys…it was understood in what their orders didn't say that if they had to slaughter a few cannibals to recover the remains, well, no one would be looking too hard at their mission reports or ammunition logs.

Come morning they had three body bags stowed in a freezer below deck, each containing one of the former students, and Mr. Tipton's special forces were gone.

Laid out on the beach was the mammoth form of the dead panther surrounded by stunned and jubilant villagers. Ship passengers all around her kept looking between the dead beast and her silent form, wondering that she could have survived an attack from it and kill it.

Bailey watched their celebrations from the deck of the _S.S. Tipton, _her machete sheathed at her side, and was sickened remembering the events of yesterday. Her friends were dead. She'd killed that beast. She'd killed a man.

She couldn't bring herself to feel remorseful over killing the cannibal, he'd have done the same to her, but she regretted the necessity of killing the panther. It had been a magnificent creature, possibly the only one of its kind, and it had only been doing what came naturally. The stitches on her back itched, a mere taste of what the animal had been capable of. The panther would have killed her too if it could have. She'd done the right thing.

She felt a warm hand low on her back, "You alright?"

Bailey turned her head just barely to the side to see Miss Tutweiller's concerned visage. The corner of her mouth tilted up just barely, humorlessly, and she said, "No."

They said nothing else as the _S.S. Tipton_ pulled away from the tiny island that had held such terrors, en route for the states to deliver the bodies of Bailey's friends to their families.

**THE END**

*****'*****

_**A/N:** Remember, everyone can participate in this collection. For details, contact **Lodylodylody**. Deadline to submit stories is November 7, 2010. And please review all the contributions. Every author taking part appreciates feedback._


	4. Snapplelinz

**The Curse Of Llanwddyn **

by Snapplelinz

*****'*****

"…and then after he checked under the bed, the little boy sat upright and suddenly…the clown doll was behind him, its tiny hands resting on his shoulder poised to…STRANGLE HIM!" Zack exclaimed in a high-pitched scream, his silhouette eerie beneath the glare of the flash light.

London shrieked loudly along with Marcus and Woody, who ended up jumping into Marcus' arms.

"Man, get off of me! You're getting whipped cream all over my jacket, dog!" Marcus scolded, tossing Woody back onto the ground, causing the rest of the group to laugh loudly.

"Sorry, Marcus." Woody apologised sheepishly, disentangling himself from Marcus' arms and retrieving his can of whipped cream that he'd been gorging himself on seconds before.

"That was so scary, Zack! Gasp!" London declared vehemently.

"Thank you very much," Zack replied smugly with a theatrical bow.

"Come on, it wasn't that scary, guys." Bailey chided soothingly.

"Bailey's right. And it definitely doesn't count as a scary story, Zack." Cody added sceptically.

"Does too!" Zack retorted heatedly.

"Does not! You got that from 'Poltergeist', which isn't your own original story. It's a horror movie!" Cody countered impatiently.

"Which was scary! You wet the bed after we watched that!" Zack chortled mirthfully.

"Well…at least I didn't ransack the Tipton after watching 'Zombie Mom' that one time."

"You're right, Cody. What I did was way worse in comparison."

"Well, you looked like a moron barricading the doors to the main entrance."

"You're just mad because of that Halloween prank I pulled on you earlier today with the octopus in Tutweiller's class." Zack retorted triumphantly.

London and Woody laughed loudly at this while Bailey and Marcus threw Cody sympathetic looks. Zack grinned mischievously at Cody, causing him to roll his eyes. Cody had arrived late for Biology that morning, having pulled an all-nighter on a paper that was due that day for English. The minute that Ms. Tutweiller had stepped outside to have a quick word with Mr. Moseby, Bailey had drawn Cody's attention to the fact that the octopus (the one which had caused them much grief on their first day at Seven Seas Academy) wasn't moving in its tank.

Cody, who had just fed the octopus, ran over to the tank and gazed in horror at the creature, lying on its side. Zack had suggested that Cody poke it and when he obliged, the octopus had suddenly reared up and sprayed Cody in the face with ink. Zack had known full well that the octopus was prone to falling asleep right after feeding, a cheap trick in itself, Zack knowing full well that Cody had been half asleep and therefore not paying proper attention to feeding the octopus. Needless to say, Cody had been less than impressed that his twin brother had tricked him into thinking that he'd killed the class pet.

"Guys, quit arguing. Zack's story was pretty scary, and you didn't say we couldn't use material from horror movies, Cody." Bailey rejoined sensibly, bringing the twins' bickering to an end.

Zack, Cody, Bailey, Woody, London and Marcus were seated on the ground around a roaring bon fire that they'd made 30 minutes ago. The S.S. Tipton had docked in a port in the South of Wales for the Halloween weekend and most of the passengers had disembarked to go sight-seeing at various intervals. Under the strict supervision of Ms. Tutweiller and Mr. Moseby, the Seven Seas students were staying in a resort in the little town of Vyrnwy located near the famous aqueduct built there many years before. A small Halloween party had been arranged at the resort, but the six friends had stepped outside during the course of the evening and ended up building a fire and telling ghost stories to pass the time. It was fast approaching midnight and the night air had grown chilly all around them.

"Okay, it just seems like cheating though." Cody pointed out.

"Oh? You think you can tell a scarier story, then… _without cheating_?" Zack taunted laughingly.

Cody thought it over before responding.

"As a matter of fact, I think I can." He declared, an evil grin etched on his face.

"Ok, give it your best shot, Cody." Zack challenged, matching his brother's tone.

"Ok, here goes…"

"Once upon a time, there was a little village called Llanwddyn, located a few paces away from where we're sitting right now. It was a lovely little village: filled with quaint little houses, a church, a school for the children, and even a pub where the male townsfolk would gather every evening after a hard day's work. Children would play hopscotch and soccer along its cobbled streets after their lessons every day. Housewives would stand outside their back doors and hang up their laundry on wiry lines, chatting gaily to each other. Then one day in 1888, the Liverpool Council (the local municipality) decided that they wanted to build a new dam where the village was located."

"Naturally, the villagers were outraged because they didn't want their home and livelihood to be destroyed. So they took to protesting in front of the old municipal building and lighting torches across the Vyrnwy Reservoir, signalling their disdain all through the chilly nights which followed. But the Liverpool Council refused to listen and continued on with their plan to construct a new aqueduct along with the damn."

"Then on the appointed day, the villagers stood in front of their village and refused to leave, thinking that the Council would send in men to demolish their village with human tools. But what they didn't realise was that the Council had another way of destroying their home: big firecrackers not unlike sticks of dynamite rigged to parts of the valley, which would trigger torrents of water from the lake to engulf the entire village in one fell swoop. The villagers weren't prepared and neither was the Council, who had expected the villagers to give up their futile protest. So when the water came…" Cody trailed off dramatically.

Bailey's eyes widened in horror.

"No way!" Marcus exclaimed in awe.

"Yes, way." Cody answered gravely.

"You mean, they all drowned?" London asked in a small voice.

"Yes, London. Every single villager died the day the valley was bombed." Cody explained soberly.

"Gasp! Dying in all their old jewellery and hideous clothes! That's so tragical!" London exclaimed in a scandalised tone, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Not as tragical as you totally missing the point of the story, London." Bailey quipped sarcastically.

"No way did that happen! Come on, he's totally yanking our chains. No way could the Council get away with something like that, destroying the village and killing all those people." Zack countered sceptically.

"That's exactly what happened, Zack. Only the public never found out the truth, the Liverpool Council covered it up to avoid liability. They carried on with building the dam as if nothing bad happened." Cody

"So…you mean…the dead bodies are still down there?" Marcus squeaked fearfully.

"The Council recovered most of the drowned victims. But legend has it that the ones they didn't bring back up are still down there, the whites of their eyes ever clear in the dark waters. That's why none of the townsfolk go swimming or fishing around these parts. Anyone who's tried to swim in these waters has never come out alive. Those who've stood on the shorelines and watched their friends and loved ones drown say that the lost souls of Llanwddyn and their ghostly white hands dragged them down into the depths to join them in their fate. And they won't rest until their lost village is restored to its rightful place: above the water and back on dry land." Cody returned ominously.

"God, that's creepy." Bailey admitted with an involuntary shudder while staring out at the black lake.

"Dude, that is messed up." Marcus agreed with revulsion.

"I have one question: if the public never found out what the Liverpool Council did, then how come you know about all about it, Cody?" Zack questioned suspiciously while stoking the fire.

"I have my sources." Cody replied with a mysterious grin on his face.

"O-kay." Zack remarked with a dismissive eye-roll.

"Hey, where's Woody?" London asked unexpectedly.

The five of them looked up from the camp fire to stare at their surroundings. No matter which way they turned, there wasn't any sign of Woody in close proximity.

"Marcus, he was sitting next to you." Cody pointed out hurriedly.

"I didn't see him get up." Marcus answered truthfully.

"Maybe he went back to the party." Zack remarked casually.

"But he couldn't have slipped away without any of us seeing him leave." Bailey declared assuredly.

"Exactly. He's not hard to miss, if ya know what I mean." London added snidely.

"Seriously, guys. Where is he? You don't think…?" Bailey trailed off with sudden anxiety in her eyes.

"What?" Cody asked curiously.

"The lake. He could've wandered into it while we were talking." Bailey elaborated uneasily.

"What for? It's night-time and the water's freezing. Why would he go into the water, Bailey?" Zack asked wonderingly.

"I don't know. I just got a funny feeling after hearing Cody's story." Bailey admitted in a shaky whisper.

"Hey, what's that?" Marcus asked abruptly.

The group followed his gaze and saw him pointing towards a strange object in the lake. A hulking figure was edging through the shallow and murky waters, a low and rattling moan pervading through the silence like an incessant humming.

"Somebody's coming out of the water!" London shrieked in alarm, ducking behind Marcus to protect herself.

"It's Woody!" Bailey declared in horror, the first to run forward.

The rest of the group followed closely behind her, sprinting towards the hulking figure, which crawled on all fours out of the black water over the black sand, thick curly hair framing his pale face.

"Woody! Dude, what were you doing in the water? Are you crazy?" Zack scolded heatedly.

But something was very wrong with Woody. He was shaking all over and his lips were a ghostly pallid tinge. He could barely speak, a stream of words coming out of his mouth like the rattling of a chain against a gravel road.

"Water s-s-s-o cold…they p-p-pulled me down…h-haunted village." Woody croaked through parched lips that barely stretched to accommodate the sounds being emitted from his throat.

Then without warning, he fell onto his back and became completely still, his eyes opened wide in horror. London shrieked and backed away in terror, stumbling slightly in the sand.

"Oh my God!" Cody exclaimed hoarsely, his mouth completely dry.

"Woody! No, please, Woody." Bailey sobbed profusely, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Look at his eyes." Marcus implored with sudden urgency, a shaky finger pointed at Woody.

The group stared in alarm at Woody's eyes. They were completely devoid of their usual brown lustre, but a mesh of icy blue and green, white encircling the corneas like a bright burning light.

"It's just like what Cody said about the villagers and the whites of their eyes. Woody's eyes are exactly like that!" Marcus explained with a shocked hiss.

"You guys, Marcus is right. Didn't you hear what Woody just said? They pulled him into the water! The dead village people did it!" London declared vehemently, pointing an accusing finger at the black lake.

"London, that's crazy! Dead people can't drag someone down into the water!" Cody exclaimed hysterically.

"But that's just what he said! The dying don't lie, Cody." Marcus joined in severely.

After making up his mind, Zack pushed Marcus out of the way and knelt over Woody's body. Then he placed his hands on Woody's chest and began pumping it vigorously.

"Zack, what are you doing?" Cody asked, alarmed by his brother's actions.

"I'm trying to get Woody to breathe again." Zack declared firmly, not stopping his movements.

"Zack, it's too late. Woody's dead." Bailey countered in a trembling voice.

"Not on my watch he isn't." Zack stated sternly.

"Come on, Woody! Wake up! Wake up, Woody!" Zack repeated over and over again.

No matter what Zack tried, Woody's eyes remained motionless and unblinking. Then Zack stopped pumping Woody's chest and leant over his friend, his head bowed and his eyes closed while he willed himself not to break down in front of his brother and other friends. Just as he leant forward to close his friend's eyelids, Woody's body suddenly jerked upwards, his mouth cruelly contorted and foaming at the mouth while he emitted a raspy drone. Zack fell onto his back, howling in fright while Bailey, London and Marcus began screaming at the top of their lungs. Then Woody stopped bellowing and began cackling loudly, his hand clutching his belly.

"What the?" London asked in confusion.

He, Zack, London and Bailey turned to their left and saw Cody doubled over on his knees in the sand, looking on the verge of tears from laughing so hard.

"What the hell's going on here?" Zack demanded angrily, looking between Woody and Zack.

"I'll tell you what's going on. We just got played!" Marcus complained indignantly.

"You mean, you just played a prank on us?" Bailey demanded furiously, her hands on her hips while staring hard at Cody.

"Correction. I played a prank on Zack, and a pretty good one too." Cody amended smugly.

"Why, you little punk! You scared the crap out of us!" Zack spat in an enraged tone.

"Guys, it's Halloween. It's kind of the point of the holiday." Woody pointed out evenly.

"But when did you – how did you get into the water?" London asked wonderingly of Woody.

"Simple. I pretended to get more whipped cream from my backpack and snuck past Zack while he was arguing with Cody." Woody explained triumphantly.

"Let me guess: you put whipped cream around your mouth too?" Marcus asked wearily.

"Uh-huh. The only thing foamier than me is a dog with rabies." Woody declared facetiously.

"But what about your eyes? All we could see were the whites!" Bailey stated accusingly, rounding on Woody.

"I put contact lenses in." Woody replied simply.

"Dude, not cool. You just gave me palpitations over your sorry ass." Marcus snapped, shooting daggers at Woody, who squirmed uncomfortably.

"So that whole schtick about the village drowning was just a bogus story?" Zack demanded haphazardly.

"Not entirely. The village is actually buried beneath this reservoir. But I may have embellished on the rest." Cody asserted with a roguish grin.

"'May have embellished'? Cody, what you just did was really sick. Both you and Woody." Bailey spat contemptuously.

"I agree! Lying about people drowning in their hideous jewellery and poor people clothes is just plain wrong. Not to mention what Bailey said about 'belly-fishing'." London added in a scandalised tone with a scowl on her face.

Cody looked instantly taken aback and abashed when everyone (save for Woody) looked at him with obvious disgust and anger.

"Whoa, guys, take it easy. It was just a joke, I swear. Look, I'm sorry; I didn't think you'd be so mad about it. I just did it to get back at Zack for tricking me into thinking I killed the class octopus. I'm really sorry." Cody apologised with evident remorse.

Zack, who looked like he'd been about to punch Cody, relaxed considerably after this. Even Bailey, Marcus and London looked slightly more mollified.

"You know, you could've just told the rest of us what you were up to." Bailey pointed out begrudgingly.

"No way, I couldn't risk Zack finding out about me pranking him. So I just told Woody about it because I needed his help." Cody offered delicately.

"When did you two even cook this up anyway?" Zack demanded impatiently.

"This afternoon, before we disembarked from the ship." Woody explained.

"Huh. Well, I guess that just leaves one more thing to do." Zack noted softly.

"What's that?" Woody asked innocently.

"Chase these two chuckle-heads around the sand until we catch them. Who's with me?" Zack asked evilly of the group.

"Oh, I'm in." Marcus replied cockily.

"I'm game." Bailey agreed readily while rolling up her sleeves.

"I like the way you think, Zack. No one makes a fool out of London Tipton without being thrown in a dungeon!" London exclaimed with a maniacal chuckle.

"Hey, hold on a second. Guys, let's talk about this." Cody begged in a winning tone.

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired from waving my arms around in the water." Woody added helplessly.

"Every man and Woody for HIMSELF!" Cody shrieked when Zack, Bailey, London and Marcus began chasing after him and Woody.

While Woody and Cody continued evading the rest of the group by running around in circles, the general temperament of the black water behind them had begun to change subtly. Where it had once been disturbed (no thanks to Woody's oafish antics), it was now almost completely tranquil save for one important disparity. The tiniest of bubbles had begun drifting up towards the surface, almost as if someone were still hidden beneath the shallow waves, just out of sight and breathing stealthily. And then in confirmation of this absurd proposition, a pale and ghostly hand emerged from the exact same spot, poised in a wretched and hapless stance.

*****'*****

_**A/N:** Just to clarify, there actually was a village located in the Vyrnwy Reservoir in the South of Wales called Llanwddyn, which the Liverpool Council 'drowned' in order to build a new dam and aqueduct in 1888. But no villagers actually died during the process. All of the villagers were first moved to a settlement close by before Llanwddyn was buried underwater. Several other villages in the vicinity suffered similar fates to make way for better water resources and infrastructure in the region. I got the concept from a novel I studied recently at university called "Austerlitz" by W.G. Sebald. Best of luck to the rest of the authors participating in this marvellous collection : ) _

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	5. Woundedhearts

**Hollow Voices**

by Woundedhearts

*****'*****

Maya awoke to the sound of a child's voice calling out to her. Looking around the room she couldn't quite place where the sound was coming from. Convincing herself it was just a dream, she again laid her head on her pillow and closed her eyes.

"Mommy?" the hollow whisper sounded again and she was instantly alert.

The little hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and a cold chill entered the room as the child's voice continued to call out each time clearer than the last.

She looked over to Zack who was lying beside her, and realized he was fast asleep. He couldn't have heard a thing. She sat up in bed listening and searching her surroundings for anything that didn't belong there.

"Zack? Zack, wake up?" she whispered trying to shake her him awake. "Zack!"

He remained dead to the world as she heard the voice again but this time it was followed by the appearance of a little girl, she guessed no more than five or six, dressed in a white nightgown gripping her teddy bear beside her.

Maya sat terrified as the air in the room turned cold. But then realized that the child looked lost and lonely and there was an air of sadness to her. And she felt bad for this apparition.

The child stretched out her hand and it filled Maya with a longing to pick her up and hold her. But before she could, another apparition entered the room and filled Maya's heart with fear.

This one was of a dark figure, it looked like a man, but Maya couldn't be sure. As she watched in horror the dark figure reached out for the child just as she turned and called out to her once more. In the next moment the two disappeared from sight, leaving her shaking and crying.

***'***

Zack awoke to her tears and wrapped his arms around her not sure what had happened. He'd never seen her so shaken up. Trembling in his arms he could feel the fear within her. Whatever she had been dreaming about was obviously very upsetting to her.

"It's alright baby, I'm here," he cooed comforting the stricken girl. "It was just a dream; nothing is going to hurt you."

Maya mumbled something under her breath that he couldn't quite decipher. "I'm sorry I couldn't understand you." He added rubbing her back gently to try and sooth her into responding.

"It wasn't a dream."

"Why don't you tell me what it was about?" he whispered leaning back up against the headboard and placing her in his lap as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Wrapping his arms around her he waited for her begin. "It wasn't a dream Zack, it was real." She stated with tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"What was?"

"A little girl, she was here."

"Where?" he asked bewildered.

"Here, in our bedroom."

"Maya that's impossible," he said. "We are the only one's home and the doors are locked."

"I mean it, she was here."

"Okay why don't you take a deep breath and start from the beginning."

"I awoke to the sound of someone crying, but when I looked around the room I didn't see anything. So I thought I was just dreaming and closed my eyes again. Then I heard a child calling out for her mother, and I sat up straight. The room got colder and a figure began to emerge, it was a little girl in pig tales and a long white night gown, carrying a teddy bear. She looked so sad as she called out for her mother and I reached out to her. But this man…"

"What man?" he asked unsure if he truly believed what she was saying.

"I don't know, but he came in and grabbed her," she sobbed. "That's when I woke you up."

"What did he look like?"

"He was a dark shadow," she cried.

"Then how did you know it was a man?"

"I just did," she hiccupped sitting up and wiping her eyes so she could see him better. "He hurt her, I just know it."

"Maya, you were dreaming," he told her. "There is no little girl and no dark shadow."

"Zack I know…"

"Sweetheart, go back to sleep," he whispered giving her a gentle squeeze. "There is nothing to be afraid of…I'm here," he added flexing his right arm so that she could see the clear bulge in his bicep.

"Yeah…um…that makes me feel a whole lot better," she replied with a wink and a small smile.

Zack patted her shoulder and grinned with a raised eyebrow. "So you see sweet thang, you have nothing to worry about, now that thunder and lightning are on duty." He added kissing each bicep with confidence.

Maya just shook her head in astonishment and then laid back down after emitting one small glance around the room. Zack noticing the worried look in her eyes pulled her into the comfort of his arms and wrapped her up in a safe cocoon.

It had taken awhile to get her to sleep but eventually she was able to close her eyes and drift off in slumber. Yet her dreams were plagued with the visions she had experienced in her waking state, and it was a fitful sleep.

***'***

The next morning couldn't have come soon enough for the exhausted girl. Getting up out of bed she felt like to cement blocks were tied to her ankles. Her eyes were sore and she was tired from the long night of constant fear. She kept waiting for the alarm bells to ring and another figure to make an appearance.

Zack had left for work that morning and Cody and Bailey were still not home from their week long convention, and for the first time in a long time she had solitude. But although she had looked forward to having the house to herself, the feeling was now an unwelcome one. She relished the noise that her brother and sister in law brought to the vast emptiness of the rooms.

Now the house just gave her a feeling of loneliness and it was too quiet. Suddenly every slight sound made her skin crawl. She tried to force herself to look at things logically, to reason the situation away, but as hard as she tried her mind knew the truth.

Her senses became alert to a small squeaking sound in the living room directly facing her. Since the kitchen opened up to the room she could see every corner of it, and saw nothing. Yet she still managed to hear the distinct noise.

Trying to shrug it off as her imagination she simply returned to her task of filling the dishwasher and chose to ignore it. When the phone rang she jumped in surprise and almost laughed out loud at her own silliness. It was strange how things could get to you.

"Hey babe, just checking in to see if everything is alright," Zack stated.

"It's kind of weird how quiet it is in here," she replied. "Between Cody and Bailey being away and you being at work, I'm beside myself."

"I'm sorry, I wish I could come home for lunch today, but we're swamped."

"Don't worry," she smiled into the phone. "I understand."

"Yeah but after last night…"

"Zack I love that you're so concerned, but I'm a big girl. You don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine."

"I know," he told her. "But…"

"So I'll see you tonight when you come home," she replied.

"Alright, I can take a hint," he stated. "I love you."

"I love you too Zack."

"How much?" he asked sheepishly, making his wife blush.

"You'll just have to wait to find that out, when you get home tonight."

She heard his trademark chuckle and smiled. "I plan too," and she was glad he couldn't see the soft blush that played across her cheeks.

"Maya?"

Maya turned around to the sound of her name but simply faced an empty room.

"Maya sweetheart, are you still there?" Zack asked her.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I just thought I heard…" she began but didn't want to worry him at work. "It was nothing."

"Are you sure?" he asked concerned. "Maybe I should come home."

"No don't do that, trust me everything is fine."

"Alright, if your sure?"

"I'm sure, I promise," she told him.

"Okay see you tonight."

Maya hung up the phone and again the eerie feeling crept over her. The silence again beckoning her and her senses all worked together to keep her on edge.

"Maya?" came a whispery voice and she turned in the direction of the call.

Again she saw nothing but that still didn't stop her heart from raising. Coming to the conclusion that if she didn't get some peace of mind she would go crazy, she searched each room and looked for the origin of the voice. Again nothing, she wondered if maybe she was losing it, until once again she heard it, but this time it sounded very male.

"Who's there?" she shouted to an empty room. "Show yourself, I mean it."

"Maya?" came another voice making her jump. But this time she recognized it as she turned to see her next door neighbor peering in through the screen door.

"Are you alright," Lauren asked. "You're complexion is white as a sheet."

"Sorry, it's been a long morning."

"I can see that. Who were you talking to when I first knocked?" the woman asked.

"No one, it was nothing."

"Are you absolutely sure," she stated again.

"Yes!" the young woman half shouted. "I'm sorry, I'm fine really."

"No I'm sorry, it's just you seem so jumpy," she asked concerned. "Don't tell me you've seen a ghost."

"What?"

"A ghost," she chuckled. "I was kidding."

"Lauren if I tell you something do you promise that you won't think I'm crazy?"

"Alright," she replied. "Shoot."

Maya walked her over toward the kitchen table and they both took a seat as she filled two cups with coffee. As she began to tell her about the previous night, the woman remained quiet while listening intently. Something inside told Maya this wasn't the first time she had heard this story.

"Before you moved in last year," she began when Maya had finished recounting her ordeal. "There was another couple who lived here by the name of Robinson, newlyweds."

"Okay," she stated her interest peeked.

"Anyway, the young woman was always here alone, because her husband worked two jobs and at odd hours."

"Poor girl," she replied.

"Well one day about three months after they had moved in, Jeanine, that was the girls name came over and knocked on my back porch door. I greeted her and asked her in, I could tell she was very upset about something."

"About what?" Maya could only imagine considering what she's seen and heard.

"She told me a story about a little girl, and that there seemed to be a bad man trying to hurt her. She described her exactly as you have."

"Oh my God," Maya gasped. "What did you say?"

"I didn't know what to say."

"Do you know who lived here before them?"

"No we moved into the house next door, five years ago," she replied. "And it was vacant when we moved in so, I have no idea who owned it before the Robinsons."

"So what happened to the young couple?"

"I told Jeanine, that she should talk to her husband and she took my advice," she stated. "But her husband Brian, I think was his name, wouldn't believe her and left her alone in this house."

"That's horrible," Maya replied.

"I never knew what happened but one night about six months after they had moved in, Evan and I heard a lot of strange sounds coming from their direction. We never investigated, but the next morning the house was on the market."

The back screen door banged open and both women jumped. "What was that?" Lauren asked as they walked over to investigate.

"It must have been the wind," Maya stated on edge both realizing that there wasn't any wind to speak of. In fact it was a humid, calm day, something neither of them wanted to think about.

"Would you like to head over to my place?" she asked. "I could really use some help on the pies I'm baking for our annual bake sale."

"That sounds great to me," Maya replied as she grabbed her keys and her cell phone, and they made their way across the yard.

***'***

Cody answered his cell phone on the first ring and smiled. "Hey bro, what's up?" he asked.

"Nothing much, just working," he replied with a smile of his own. "How's the conference?"

"It's okay, but I think it will wrap up a bit sooner than we thought," he told him.

"Oh that's great…"

"It is?" Cody smirked. "How so?"

"Well have you or Bailey talked to Maya this morning?"

"No, we haven't had a chance. Why is something wrong?"

"I not sure," he replied.

"What happened?"

"Do you have time to talk?" the older twin asked his brother.

"I do now," he replied walking out of the convention hall and into the courtyard outside. "What's going on Zack, I can hear the worry in your voice."

Zack told his brother about last night and the call he had just shared with his wife. He knew something was going on but he couldn't put his finger on what that was.

"Cody you said you researched the house before we bought it?"

"Yes, but mainly things like the set up of the neighborhood. Schools, structure damage, things like that, why?"

"Mind doing a bit more?" he asked.

"You think this was more than a dream or some weird hallucination?"

"I'm not sure, but she's seriously freaked," he stated.

"But it doesn't make sense we've been living there a little less than a year, and we've never seen, felt or heard anything," Cody analyzed. "So why now, and why Maya?"

"Why Maya what?" Bailey asked walking up to him.

"Maya thought she saw a ghost last night in her bedroom…"

Cody paused when Bailey gasped. "The little girl with the pigtails?"

"Zack let me call you right back," he stated before hanging up. "You've seen her?"

"Cody this is going to sound crazy, but I think she's looking for her mother."

***'***

Maya walked back across the yard a couple of hours later. She wasn't looking forward to returning, but she knew that she had to get dinner started before Zack came home. Thankfully he was due to arrive in about thirty minutes. Still she found herself wishing that she had taken Lauren up on her offer to have them both over to dinner.

Suddenly she froze having the strangest sensation that she was being watched. Yet, as she looked around her she realized she was alone in the yard. So that would only mean one thing, she regrettably looked up at the house that was supposed to be her home and instantly she saw it.

A small figure in a window on the second floor, the same figure she'd seen the night before was staring down at her. Watching her as if she were memorizing what she looked like. Not being able to withstand her gaze, Maya looked away for the briefest of moments, only to turn back and see nothing.

She heard a honk nearby and watched as Zack pulled into the drive. She'd never been more relieved to see another living human being in her life. Racing over she threw herself in his arms before he even had a chance to shut the car door.

"Wow what a welcome," he smiled. "I should come home early more often."

"Zack…" she smiled as they shared a tender kiss.

With his arm wrapped around her waist she felt content for the first time today. But then he always had that affect on her. No matter how on edge or upset she was he always seemed to have a way of making her feel as if the world was filled with rainbows.

Yet there was still that small part of her that felt leery and wished that they didn't have to go back inside. Taking one final glance up at the window, she almost expected to see the little girl once more, and she unconsciously shivered. Relief washed over her when nothing appeared but that still didn't keep her from worrying.

"Baby are you cold?" Zack asked. "You're shivering."

"Am I, I'm sorry sweetie," she replied as he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. "It has been a long day."

Zack simply stared back at her with a concerned look in his eye. "Has something else happened?"

"It's nothing," she said snuggling up beside him as they walked side by side in silence.

"I talked to Cody today. He and Bailey should be home in the morning."

"So soon?" she inquired. "I hope everything went well."

"Everything was fine, but the convention ended a bit sooner than they anticipated."

"Maya, was last night the first time you saw the little girl?"

"Yes," she said. "Why?"

"Because apparently you're not the only one," he told her. "Bailey has too."

***'***

"I wish we could have gotten an earlier flight," Cody stated before plopping down on the bed beside his wife. "Zack didn't sound too good. Did you try calling Maya?"

"Yes, she was at Lauren's baking all day, which in my opinion wasn't a bad idea."

"I agree," he said looking over and noticing the website that she was currently skimming through. "Do you think you'll find anything?"

"I hope so," she replied. "Something happened in that house and I have a feeling that man had something to do with it. I'd bet money on it."

"The other ghost?" he exclaimed.

"Yes," she replied rubbing her arms to gain a little warmth.

Immediately he leaned over and wrapped his arms around her. As she snuggled into his embrace she adjusted the laptop in her lap so that they could both use it. The search took forever when they finally came upon a picture that made Bailey jump.

"That's her," she cried as they both sat up. "That's the little girl I saw."

Turning the screen toward him Cody began to read the article. It was an article in the local paper dated May thirteenth nineteen twenty three. The picture of the little girl took up half the page, but it was the headline that got their attention.

_Body of Murdered Girl Discovered _

_The body of nine year old Annabelle Chambers was found last night. After a week of searching the surrounding area, they discovered her remains in the woods directly behind her home. She had been bound and gagged and had received a severe blow to the left side of her temple. This is now the main indication of her demise, but the coroner has yet to verify that. Her assailant is still at large and her step father and mother have yet to speak to the press._

Cody held her close as she continued to cry for the lost and lonely little girl. Skimming through most of the article, he came upon a small picture toward the bottom, of the young girls parents. Bailey's heart instantly began to rise as she eyed the man in the picture.

"Oh my God that's him," she yelped, but continued to study the picture. The people, especially the woman almost seemed familiar which she knew was a crazy thought.

"Who?" he asked her, noticing the look across her features. "He's the man you saw, the other ghost?"

"Yes," she half shouted. "Oh, Cody I think this man may have killed his step daughter."

"Wait let's not jump to conclusions just yet, let's do some more investigating," he advised clicking another link and opening up another article. "Listen to this."

_Ferguson 'Gus' Aames, Annabelle's step father was taken into custody today for the murder of the little girl. Her mother Allison 'Ally' Chambers-Aames is shocked and distraught by this new revelation and swears that her new husband would not in his right mind ever hurt the young girl. _

"That's terrible," she told him not sure if she was able to take much more.

"Now there is a bunch of related articles concerning the trial which only lasted three days before he was declared guilty and hung from the nearest tree," Cody continued. "Oh wait here's one more."

_Most of the evidence brought forth during the trial was circumstantial and should not have been allowed in a court of law. But do to the seriousness of the case and the victim involved the eyes of justice have been closed and we as a town may have indeed sent an innocent man to his death. If this is the case then whoever the real culprit was has just earned a reprieve. _

"So they think he may have been innocent of the killing," Bailey asked.

"Well this reporter seemed convinced."

"That's terrible," she replied. "Cody, can we just put this to rest tonight, I'm afraid if I keep thinking about it I won't be able to sleep."

"Sure sweetheart, let me just save the page."

But merely closing the laptop didn't block the image from her mind. She spent the night with the television set on in hopes that any small aversion would distract her from her current thoughts. But no such luck, Bailey knew for sure that this was indeed going to be a long night.

***'***

Half way across the country the clock read past midnight and Zack and Maya were fast asleep. The thermometer on the wall registered a freezing temperature as the atmosphere in the room turned cold. The two occupants on the bed pulled the blankets tighter around them as they snuggled closer together.

Deep in slumber they didn't at first notice the loud banging that seemed to reverberate off the walls. When it finally registered Zack woke up with a start. Looking over toward Maya's still sleeping form, he was at least thankful that she couldn't hear the noise.

Gazing over at their bed side clock, he wondered who the hell would disrupt them at such an hour. Thinking it may be one of his neighbors in some kind of trouble he through on his robe and sleepers and rushed out of the door.

"Alright I'm coming," he cried out just as the banging stopped.

Taking a look out the peephole he immediately noticed there was no one in front of the door. As his breath hitched and his heartbeat began to raise he slowly went over to a curtain in the window off to the side, knowing he'd get a better view. When he finally was able to pull the curtain back to take a peek, he noticed there was in fact no one there.

Thinking maybe the person had left, he breathed a sigh of relief and decided to head off to bed and investigate in the morning. Suddenly he heard the noise again, a savage banging on the door then someone jiggling the door knob. At this point he was officially freaking out, but also he was getting angry. If this was one of the neighborhood kids he was not going to be happy.

Running over to the window, he pulled back the curtain once more and again noticed that no one was near the door. Yet the sounds didn't stop, it continued for another minute until eventually it stopped all together. The silence scared the hell out of him but determined to stay skeptical he decided to investigate the rest of the house and make sure that everything was okay.

Double checking each latch and each door lock and each bolt he finally felt safe enough to head back to bed. He told himself that if he just pretended it didn't happen then it would be forgotten. Yet as he was walking down the hall toward his bedroom he saw an image walk across one bedroom into another. In his state of mind he thought it was his brother, because he was tall, lanky and had blondish hair.

The logical part of him knew that Cody and Bailey were still in Chicago at the convention. So when he took a peek into their room and saw nothing he forced himself to believe it was simply his imagination and he hadn't seen anything.

Walking back into his room he was glad that the cold chill in the air was gone and his wife was still fast asleep. His mind was still warring with his logic as too what he'd actually witnessed and felt. So while he crawled back into bed with Maya and pulled her close he forced himself to close his eyes and go to sleep not realizing that they weren't alone and a figure stood watching them. A figure, that looked a lot like Gus.

***'***

The house was just as she'd seen it in her vision. Tall two story blue Victorian with a wraparound porch and a swing in front of a big picture window. From the street it looked almost picturesque but Melinda Gordon knew better. She knew from experience that every place had a history, every ghost had a story, every town had a mystery and it was her duty to piece the puzzles together.

All her life she'd always had what many referred to as a _special gift_. Half blessing, half curse, she often used it to help the spirits of tortured souls cross over to a better place, and to help their loved ones find closure. She loved that part of her job, but there was always the rare case where things weren't always so simple, and she had a feeling this would be one of those times.

For the past few days she'd been having visions of the house and her sixth sense was instantly alerted to something more. She didn't know why, but she knew this would be the perfect time to visit with her favorite niece. She knocked on the door and it was opened by a young man.

"Hi, you must be Zack," she smiled.

"Guilty as charged," he replied taken back. "And you are?"

"My name is Melinda Gordon," she replied. "Maya is my sister- in-law's daughter."

"Oh hi," he stated a bit confused by her sudden visit but happy for the distraction into his thoughts. "That's right I've seen your pictures."

"I'm sorry we couldn't make it to the wedding or visit sooner…"

"There's no need to explain I completely understand."

"Melinda!" Maya exclaimed as she ran over and wrapped her arms around her favorite aunt. "What are you doing here?"

"Jim is here for work and I've decided to tag along."

"That's great, where is he?"

"He had to stay behind in the hotel so he could be near the hospital," she replied.

"Oh I see. So then you'll be staying in town as well?" she asked with hopeful eyes.

"Is that a question or a request?" Melinda smiled.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a couple of years," Maya hinted. "And it would be nice to have some time to catch up, don't you think?"

"I think that is a great idea," she grinned giving her a gentle squeeze. "That is, if it's alright with you?" she added directing her question toward Zack.

Zack took one look at Maya's big brown hopeful eyes and realized he couldn't deny her this simple request. "That's alright with me," he replied trying not to add that it would keep her mind occupied.

"Thank you, my suitcase is in the cab," Melinda stated with a wink.

Zack gave her an incredulous smile but went to do her bidding as the two women walked into the house. While Maya was showing her around her beautiful home Melinda was studying her surroundings. She could feel a presence, more than one to be truthful. As always, she had done her research on the history and knew of the little girl and the man haunting the premises. But she also knew they weren't the only ones.

When Zack called for Maya to come downstairs it gave her the perfect opportunity to do some exploring of her own. She was searching the bedrooms upstairs when she felt the presence of a little girl. The child was smiling up at her and she returned the greeting. She had seen her in her visions several times as well as a picture of her in her research. So there was no doubt in her mind that the child in front of her still holding on to the teddy bear she had been buried with was indeed Annabelle Chambers.

"Hi sweetheart, I'm Melinda?" she quietly said so as not to scare her. "What's your name?"

"My name is Annabelle. Do you know where my mommy is?"

"No I don't, but if you let me I may be able to help you find her."

"I don't know where she went," she told her. "This is my room."

Although Melinda couldn't really see it, she somehow knew the room was pink.

"Pink is a pretty color," she smiled.

"I like pink, it's my favorite color," she told her looking around. "I wish my mommy was here, when do you think she'll come home?"

"Honey, do you know where…"

"I want to go to the circus?"

"The circus?" she asked. "Is the circus in town?"

Annabelle nodded and smiled. "But the clowns scare me."

"Why do they scare you sweetie?"

The little girl hung her head; she seemed so confused and lost that it tore at Melinda's heartstrings.

"I don't know," she replied then popped her head up as if she heard a noise. "I have to go."

"Why, who's calling you?"

"He's a bad man."

"Who's a bad man?" Melinda urged trying to get a bit more information. "Annabelle tell me who _he_ is."

"I have to go."

And with that she was gone she couldn't see or sense her anymore. But she knew that something significant had happened. The man who had killed the little girl was a performer in the circus. Something inside her told her that this man dressed as a clown had lured the child away. Which means she had a bit more research to do, but as she was about to leave the room she saw another apparition.

This one of a man and Melinda recognized him as well. "Gus?" she asked as he stared in her direction.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Melinda I'm here to help you."

"I'm innocent," he said.

"I know you are," she said. "Gus, I need you to tell me what happened."

"I was supposed to be watching her, but I had so much work to do in the mill."

"The mill?" she questioned.

"He's close, I can feel it. I need to find Belle."

"So you're protecting her from him?" she asked trying to get the facts straight.

Suddenly he became angry. "Of course I'm protecting her, I love that little girl."

"Tell me what happened?"

"There's no time, I have to go now," he urgently shouted before disappearing.

And again just as Annabelle had, he disappeared and she was left alone with only her thoughts. She had more questions then she had answers, but at least she knew where to look.

***'***

Zack watched and listened to Maya's aunt with curiosity. He only meant to hand her the bags she'd brought and leave, but just as he was about too, he noticed she was talking to someone. Yet when he gazed into the room, he didn't see anyone or anything. But he could feel something in the room and a thought went through his mind.

"So you're some kind of a psychic?" Zack commented making her jump. "Does Maya know?"

"Zack, you startled me," she replied. "No, she doesn't know, at least I don't think she does."

"Okay so what do they want?"

"This is their home," she replied. "Or at least it was when they were still alive…"

Suddenly they heard a loud crash and Maya call out Zack's name. They were down stairs and standing next to Maya in a matter of moments, both recovering from the mad dash they had made.

"What happened?" Zack asked putting his arms around her as Melinda's attention was diverted toward an image running out the back door.

"I'll be right back," she exclaimed sprinting out the back door in pursuit of the spirit, and ran right into Cody and Bailey who just walked in.

"Oh sorry, hi," Cody stated as Melinda ran out without a word in the direction of the wooded area behind the house. "Who was that?" he asked just as Zack took a hold of his wrist and began to drag him along with him.

"Bailey stay with Maya, we'll be right back."

"Um…K!"

Bailey watched as Zack and Cody disappeared into the woods. Turning her attention back inside she rushed over to Maya who was sitting at the kitchen table and put a comforting arm around her. Still shaken up and crying from whatever she and Cody had just walked in on.

"What happened, who was that?" Bailey asked her.

"That man," she shivered. "I was so scared."

"What man?"

"The man that Aunt Melinda ran after," she told her. "You must have seen him, he ran out the back door."

"Maya we didn't see a man run out," she replied. "But I believe you."

"He's another ghost, isn't he?" Maya asked.

"I think so," Bailey replied.

"I think he was wearing some sort of a mask," Maya stated. "But his eyes, they were so full of hatred and so much anger."

"Maya…"

"I felt like it was all directed at me."

"I don't think it was," Bailey stated. "And I think I know why."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain later, but Cody and I have been doing some research, and we think we've found some answers."

***'***

Zack and Cody had followed Melinda into a clearing. It was obvious to them that she was talking to someone, even if they couldn't quite figure out who. If there had been any doubt in his mind before, the older twin new without a moment of hesitation that this in deed was the real thing. And somehow he felt comforted by that thought.

"Is she what I think she is?" Cody whispered.

"Yes," he replied to his astonished brother.

"That's amazing," he told him. "Scary as hell but amazing."

"I agree."

"By the way Zack," Cody whispered once more. "Who is she?"

Zack would have laughed if they weren't currently trying to hide. "Maya's aunt from New York."

"You mean the one in Grand view, the one no one in the family is supposed to know is psychic?"

"That's her?"

"Why is no one in the family supposed to know she's psychic?"

"Have no idea."

"So does that mean, we're not supposed to know?"

"Cody, enough with the questions," he demanded trying to understand at least her part of the conversation. "And no, we're not supposed to know."

"Okay, good to know," Cody replied shaking his head and directing his attention back to the dark haired girl who by all accounts was talking to herself.

"Who are you?" they heard her ask. "I can't help you if you don't tell me who you are?"

"I was paid."

"Someone paid you to kill an eleven year old girl," she asked shocked.

"Not her, the guy her mom was married too, but the girl became a liability."

"I don't understand?"

"She heard too much?" he said. "I chased her and I tried to stop her before she got to the house."

"You killed her inside the house?"

"I dragged her away from the house into this clearing," he told her. "I didn't want to, but the little shit would have opened her big mouth."

"You have to tell me the truth, what is your name and what is the name of the person who paid you?"

"I don't know I never saw her face."

"It was a woman?" Melinda asked astonished. "Why did she want you to kill this man?"

"I didn't ask questions," he replied. "I just followed orders. But you have to believe me I didn't want to kill that kid."

"I know you didn't but you had too, right?"

"Don't judge me; I don't like to be judged."

"You're right, I'm sorry I just need to make sure I have the facts straight," Melinda told him putting up her hands.

"What is your name?"

"Patrick Dobson," he stated then disappeared from sight.

Melinda looked around her, but didn't see or sense anything. At least not from the non-living, she could feel a pair of eyes or rather two pairs and smiled. She knew that they had followed her out of the house but at the time she couldn't say much about it.

"So I guess the cat is officially out of the bag?" she smiled.

"It would seem so," Zack replied then turned and introduced his brother.

Melinda had known they were twins, so the resemblance didn't face her. But what did was the way he looked so much like Gus. His blond hair and thin frame were identical. There features were different but their eyes were both blue. She would have shrugged it off as mere coincidence but in her line of work she learned that there was a reason for everything. Deciding to put it aside she again smiled.

"Did you get all that?" she said.

"Well your end of things," Cody grinned. "How did you know we were here?"

"Call it a hunch," she sighed walking back toward the house with them in tow.

***'***

As soon as they returned, everyone recounted their parts of the stories and shared notes. When Melinda told them what she had heard about the conspirator being a woman, Cody and Bailey revealed some news of their own. Ally, the child's mother married Davis Rockwell two weeks after Gus had been hung.

"Who was Davis Rockwell?" Maya asked.

"The district judge," Bailey supplied. "The same judge who tried the case."

"You think there's a link with them and the murder?"

"Well if there isn't, it sure as hell was quite a coincidence."

"Zack?" she warned. "We don't know anything for sure."

"I do know this," Zack replied getting everyone's attention. "This started with a contract killing and poor Annabelle and Gus whether intentional or not were the victims."

"So what's your theory?" Melinda asked him.

"Okay here goes," Zack began. "Ally and this Davis guy were having an affair, but because divorce was forbidden and frowned upon in that time period. They weren't able to divorce so they weren't able to be together. Ally knowing the man was wealthy decided that she needed to find a way to cut her ties with Gus and so she contracted a killing with a man from the circus. In comes Patrick Dobson, needing the money and not afraid to get his hands dirty, agrees to do the killing."

"Okay but, what about Annabelle?" Bailey asked.

"Annabelle wanted desperately to go and see the circus; she had waited for her mom the entire day. She decides to go anyway and takes a shortcut through the woods. While she's there she hears two people talking…"

"I couldn't see the other person," Annabelle said quietly as Melinda put a hand up for Zack to stop talking. "But he said he was going to kill my daddy. I started crying and he heard me."

Bailey and Maya could see the little girl also but Zack and Cody couldn't and wondered what was going on. "What happened then sweetheart?"

"He started chasing me, I tried to get away but he was so fast," she cried. "I wanted to tell my daddy."

"You ran here to find him?"

"I called out to him, crying and screaming for him to help me," she began to tremble.

"I couldn't hear her over the sounds of the machines in the saw mill."

"Gus?" he looked so devastated and heartbroken.

"If only I had finished my work the day before like I promised. I would have been able to take her to the circus like she wanted."

"I got to the front door and I banged on it and I jiggled the doorknob but I couldn't get in," she cried. "I couldn't get inside, so I turned to go around the porch to the back door."

"But Patrick was there?"

"No, mommy was there," by this point Melinda didn't know what else to do but encourage her to continue, if only to help ease her pain.

"She was home?"

"I tried to tell her that there was a bad man chasing me and that he wanted to hurt daddy."

"What did she do, sweetheart?"

"I don't know what happened, everything went dark and the back of my head hurt something awful."

By this point Bailey and Maya were practically sobbing as their husbands stood behind them waiting, unsure of what was going on, they didn't know how to help.

"I woke up in the woods and the man was there," she said. "He was talking to mommy and she told him to finish doing what she had paid him to do. Then they saw me looking up at them, and she gave him a stick, I saw him reach up and then…" she cried into her hands.

"I didn't know what had happened," Gus chimed in placing an arm around the little girl. "When I walked into the house Annabelle was gone and Ally assured me that she was probably just running around in the yard. I didn't think too much of It and continued into my study."

"Gus this wasn't your fault."

"I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remember is Ally shaking me awake saying that Belle was missing. We searched all that afternoon and well into the night but couldn't find her. Finally about a week later a neighbors hunting dog found her lying in a shallow grave. My little girl was gone and I knew it was all my fault because I wasn't there to watch over her."

"And I'm sure by that time the circus had packed up and left."

He looked into Melinda's eyes and nodded. "I put so much blame on myself that I never even thought about who might have actually killed her," he shook his head in shock and disbelief. "Or that it would have been her mother that inflicted the first blow."

"So she killed you both because of the wealth she could gain by marrying Davis."

"I knew about her and Davis," he sneered and a hint of anger and hurt crossed his features. "But I chose to ignore it, because I didn't want to lose out on my family and watching Belle grow up. I was an orphan and they were the only family I had ever known."

"So Ally let you take the fall with the help of her lover," Melinda stated.

"Apparently so," he replied with little emotion. "I've had years to forget, but I knew one thing if Belle was going to stay then I was as well. I was determined to keep my promise and take care of her."

"Sweetheart," Melinda once again gave the little girl her attention. "I need you to forgive your mother. She wasn't in her right mind; she was sick with greed and didn't realize what she was doing. Would you be willing to do that for me, for Gus?"

The little girl nodded her head and slowly walked over to Maya, "I forgive you mommy."

Maya didn't know when she started to cry but all of a sudden she was on her knees and sobbing. All sorts of illogical thoughts went through her mind and her emotional stability was at a breaking point. Bailey looked over in shock and the boys who were still in the dark just gazed stunned at what they were witnessing.

"I'm so sorry baby," she cried. "I panicked, and I didn't know what to do. I only meant to knock you out for a few minutes not…oh God what have I done. In the woods I didn't know you were still alive and when I saw that you were I tried to take the stick from his hand. But it was too late, and he was too strong. I only wanted to build us a better life, a more secure one. After your father died, I, I'm so sorry."

"I know," she said taking her hand and brushing a strand of hair back from her mom's face. "I'm not mad anymore."

"I never forgave myself," she cried. "My marriage to Davis ended a few months after it started and I died a few years later of pneumonia. But I never forgot my baby."

"It's okay, everything is okay now," Annabelle whispered.

"I should have given your Uncle Stewart and Aunt Liz a chance to raise you like they wanted. You would have had such a wonderful long full filling life."

The little girl looked up at Bailey and Cody with a knowing smile, which Bailey returned with a wink. Zack looked more confused than before as did his brother, hoping that they would be let in on the big secret sometime soon.

The child turned around as if someone no one else could see had just called her name. Her face lit up and Melinda knew that look all too well. They were going home. Turning one final time toward Maya she softly placed a kiss on her cheek and thanked her for her teddy bear. Maya nodded and watched as she walked over and took Gus by the hand and they disappeared together, both with serene looks upon their faces.

"So basically what you're saying is that Maya was Ally, Cody was Stewart and Bailey was Liz?" Zack asked in bewilderment, as jaws dropped around the room.

"Yes," Melinda replied feeling sorry for the young man who was trying so desperately to make sense of everything.

"Who was I?" he questioned. "Was I involved in all this too?"

"Yes, if my guess is correct I think you were Grant Chambers, Ally's first husband and Annabelle's biological father. During my research I found that Grant unfortunately was killed during World War I and Stewart was his brother. That is why he wanted to help take care of Ally and Annabelle, because he felt it was his responsibility."

"Wow, that's crazy."

"So then we've been around this block together a few times?" Cody concluded.

Zack just snickered and rolled his eyes. "Don't you ever stop thinking?" he teased and just received a raised eyebrow from his twin.

"What about Patrick?" Maya asked.

"I don't think he'll bother you anymore," she replied. "Knowing that Gus and Belle are gone should force him to move on."

"I hope you're right," Zack replied.

"I hope so too," Cody added taking a peek at all the sad expressions around the room.

"I know that the judge, this Davis guy was the circuit judge but how did he get a conviction so fast?" Bailey asked the small group.

"My guess is that he tampered with the evidence."

"That would be my guess too," Cody replied. "Anyway, on that note, it's been a long few days I suggest everyone head off to bed."

"I second that," Zack replied. "Maybe tonight we'll all get some sleep."

"I hope so," Maya replied, "Because I could really use it."

"I think we all could really use it," Bailey smiled as the two couples headed up the stairs followed by Melinda.

***'***

The night was quiet and everyone slept soundly. The atmosphere in the air was one of content, as if a weight had been lifted on the house as well and any negative energy had been extracted. Their dreams were filled with happy thoughts and the world seemed at peace.

As their days returned to normal, the house once again belonged to them. That is where they made plans for the future making sure to honor their past. For every once in awhile Maya would dream of her little girl and hope that one day they would meet again and she would get a chance to be a real mother to her once more.

*****'*****

_**An:**__ For those of you who have never seen __**The Ghost Whisperer**__, Melinda Gordon is a woman who can communicate with the dead and does so in order to help them move on. I know that in the show her relatives don't know too much about her gift, but I thought that this would be a great way to incorporate her into the story and also give her a connection to the characters in the suite life universe._

_Many thanks for reading and reviewing! :) _

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '


	6. SilverTurtle II

**The Halloweed**

by SilverTurtle

*****'*****

Three weeks before Halloween and the students aboard the _S.S. Tipton_ were in a special class with a guest lecturer, the renowned scientist Dr. Drew Lipsky. Dr. Lipsky was teaching a unit on botany for the class while he traveled to various locations to lecture in a series of scientific conferences. Today he had announced the beginning of a special project.

"All right class, now that we all know the basics we can start having some fun," he paused walking around the room to chuckle to himself with his fingers steepled before him, "You're going to be split into pairs and given a variety of plant genetic samples. With these samples I want your teams to breed new plants-"

"Dr. Lipsky," Cody Martin interrupted, "While _I_ would not have a problem creating a plant from these samples don't you think those methods are a little _advanced_ for most of the class?"

Dr. Lipsky turned cold eyes on the young man and made a distasteful noise in the back of his throat. "Normally, you'd be right Mr. Martin," he replied in his nasally voice while running a gloved hand over his long ponytailed black hair. He turned his eyes away and addressed the rest of the class, "However, in the samples box I'll be handing out after I've assigned your partners you will find a special maturation chamber, of my own design, and additional instructions for the breeding process which should enable even the most inept of you," he gave Woody and Zack long considering looks at those words and continued, "to complete the project successfully within the next three weeks."

He returned to the front of the class and lifted a clipboard from the desk, "As to your partners…" he trailed off as he mused and cast his eyes over the class. Obviously coming to some decision he began listing his choices: London and Maya, Cody and Addison, Zack and Bailey, Becky and Woody.

After making some marks on his clipboard Dr. Lipsky instructed them all to move their desks so they sat with their project partners. When that was done he lifted a box from its place among many beside the wall and placed it on Cody's desk. He repeated this until each team had a box between them and there were no more remaining against the wall. "Once you and your partner decide which plants to cross and begin the maturation process I want you to keep detailed logs of the progress of your plants. This is as much a practical test of what you've learned from me as it is a beta test for my maturation chambers so be very careful about your documentation. You may spend the rest of the period discussing the project with your partner. These will be kept in the classroom to prevent any unsportsmanlike project tampering," he gave Zack another look and sat behind his desk. "Oh, and before I forget, this is a competition. Whoever makes the most viable and hardy plant will win a free dinner on me at the best restaurant on this ship, present their creation to the world's top scientists at this year's Innovative Scientific Creation and Adaptation Conference in Italy, and receive international publication in TIME magazine." He knew most of the furor caused by that statement was over the meal, but he also knew that whoever won would give his maturation chamber project an excellent boost in the eyes of the scientific community so he would forgive them their excitement over good breadsticks.

***'***

Cody eagerly opened the box to get his first look at the maturation chamber which would allow mere teenagers to breed plants from genetic samples into full growth in two weeks. "Oh my," he said excitedly as he lifted a large cylinder, two feet tall and one foot wide, from the box. The tube was clear, obviously to show what grew within, but the base and lid were rife with tubes, wires, and glowing lights all smoothed into a sleek pattern. There was a packet inside, a mixture to create the gel in which the plant samples would be combined and allow the plant to form without soil or seed. It was a work of beauty. A scientific triumph if it actually worked; Cody had his doubts about Dr. Lipsky's talents, but he was eager to try this out. And it was an excellent opportunity to show Bailey what she was missing and best Zack at the same time, win-win for Cody.

Addison, meanwhile, had started leafing through the trays of genetic samples to see what was available. Her mind was on her sometime boyfriend Woody working with his ex-girlfriend Becky, she couldn't let them win or Woody's affections may stray back to his ex and that was something Addison could not allow to happen. "We've got to win this thing," Addison declared catching Cody's eye.

He held her gaze steadily, then grinned, "Don't worry. We will." He too began sorting through the samples and they began an earnest discussion about the type of plant they would create.

***'***

While Cody was busy admiring the maturation chamber Zack was busy being smug about having the farm girl as his partner. Bailey had proven with a previous project that she had quite the green thumb having created a fertilizer that allowed her to grow mature stalks of corn in her room, which meant Zack would coast through this assignment. He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back on two legs of his chair grinning. Bailey, after examining the contents of the box, looked at Zack and rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to let you foist all the work on me, you know," she said.

Zack looked up at her still grinning, "And I'm not going to touch any of that sciencey stuff. It might give me nerd germs."

Bailey crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Zack, "If you don't do anything for this project then I won't either."

Zack furrowed his brow and frowned, "But if you don't we'll fail," he grinned again thinking he'd found the ticket to a free ride, "You'll get an 'F' and ruin your GPA."

Bailey smirked at him and leaned back in her own chair, "Failing one project will only drop my GPA a fraction, not enough to really matter with all the extra credit I've done. Whereas acing this project would raise your grade an entire letter, giving you a passing grade in the class and put you that much closer to never having to take another class again."

Zack thought about this. Passing this class would mean he could graduate and never go near a schoolbook again. "All I would have to do is my fair share, right?"

"Half the project," Bailey returned, "Even distribution of work."

He sucked his teeth and clucked his tongue, "Alright. I'll do it. Let's make a plant."

***'***

Maya sorted through the content of her and London's box pulling out the trays of samples and glancing them over. "So, what kind of plant do you want to make, London?" She asked while pulling out the last few trays.

London, who was filing her nails, set her emery board aside and propped her head on fisted hands. She shrugged, "Something pretty. With big colorful flowers. I like flowers."

Maya smiled, "I do, too. I think we can put something together with what we've got here. You like roses, right?"

London nodded and suddenly seemed a lot more interested in the project, "Hey, what are those flowers that grow a lot on one stem, like a whole ball of flowers?"

Maya tilted her head and thought a moment, she didn't know a whole lot about flowers but she stopped by florists sometimes and looked around, "Hydrangeas?"

The heiress shook her head, "No. Smaller. Spikier. Tiny little flowers in a ball. I want to see if we can make a ball of tiny little roses like that."

"I have no idea what kind of flower you're talking about, London," Maya shifted and handed London a tray of samples, "But we can look through these and see if it's here. There are little pictures with each sample, maybe we'll find yours."

"I hope so," London enthused, "I want to make a whole bouquet of roses on one stem!"

***'***

Woody looked despondently at his glaring project partner and the untouched box between them.

"So," he began awkwardly, "We're project partners. That's fun, don't you think?"

Becky continued to glare, "Not really."

"Hurtful," Woody murmured but set his shoulders straight and prepared to be the bigger person, "Look, I know we didn't end on the best terms but can't we still be friends? Or at least on speaking terms so we can get through this assignment?"

Becky still glared, but the mulish set of her jaw softened, "Fine. But only because I don't want to fail."

Woody sighed, nodded, and opened the box, "Good enough."

***'***

Each pair decided that day what plants to mix and match to create their hardy hybrids, but each kept that knowledge from the other teams.

At first the plants started as benign, harmless things.

London and Maya mixed together roses and globe thistles in the hopes of creating globe roses so London could have an entire bouquet from one stem; not a revolutionary idea, but cute and romantic. They weren't in it to win, they were just having fun. One week in it was clear their creation, a slowly flowering stem suspended in clear gel was at least viable as a plant, though they weren't certain it would flower as they hoped it would.

Woody and Becky mixed a creeping vine with daisies, Becky's favorite flower. The idea was that they would have a rope of daisies which would be much easier to use as a crown than making a daisy chain. In their gel a vine coiled with buds all over it. They wouldn't know until the buds opened whether it would be daisies or just the small flowers the vine generally sprouted on its own.

Bailey had wanted to do something a little more humanitarian for her project and decided she and Zack should make a hardy grain plant with prolific growth rates to help ease world hunger. Zack just wanted to ace the project so he let Bailey take the lead in choosing what would be combined and decided he'd just help with the documentation. Bailey chose to use wheat, a grain grass able to grow worldwide, and mixed it with bamboo, another grass with an incredible growth rate. The hope was to breed a plant which could be grown anywhere and at such a rate that it could constantly be harvested. At a week their stem of grass looked like fuzzy bamboo with tiny wisps of hulls (where the grain was enclosed) dangled from each join in the plant.

Cody and Addison wanted to make an aquatic plant that would feed off algae which could be used in ponds, pools, lakes, and fish farms to keep the water clean and devour nuisance bugs such a mosquitoes and horseflies. Cody had outlined a plan which would combine the waterwheel plant, the Venus flytrap, and the water lily. As they'd been adding the gene samples to the maturation chamber Addison, who was drinking one of London's energy drink concoctions and handling a blackberry vine sample, looked over to see Woody and Becky laughing and had reflexively closed her fist making some of her drink splash into the gel and cracking the sample sending it drifting into the chamber without either Addison or Cody noticing. As a result, at one week old, their plant was much larger and fiercer looking than they'd anticipated. It had already formed mature flytrap leaves and had sprouted flowers at the top and neither of them was certain where the thorns had come from.

***'***

Their plants continued to grow at astonishing rates for the week they remained in the maturation chamber. At the end of the second week, to test the viability of the plants, they were removed from the chamber and potted.

London and Maya's globe roses grew exactly as planned. Tiny roses formed a perfect sphere at the end of each long stem, and there were a great deal of stems splitting from the original body of the plant. The girls were thrilled with their success and hoped that their plant would survive the transplant process and thrive in a real pot of soil.

Woody and Becky's vine had bloomed and showed off its open daisies for three days before the flowers dropped away and new vines grew from the places the flowers had been and began budding themselves. Excited at their success and eager to see if their vine would do well in real dirt they transplanted it into a pot with a trellis curling the vines around the sturdy sticks and hoping the plant continued to grow.

Bailey and Zack, because of the extremely fast growth of their bamboo-wheat hybrid, had removed their plant from the maturation chamber several days previous when it had grown too tall to fit. It grew even better in real soil than it had in the chamber and the two of them spent quite a lot of time trimming it back and harvesting the hulls of wheat. They had so many hulls that Bailey had made Zack grind the grain so she could use it to bake a loaf of bread to test if the wheat was as flavorful as non-hybrid breeds, which had turned out to be a successful experiment.

Cody and Addison, when the time came to transplant, were afraid to touch their creation. It had teeth and thorns everywhere and seemed to follow any movement of their hands with one of its flytrap mouths. But, wearing gloves and goggles, they moved their plant from the maturation chamber into a tank half-full of water with soil and rocks coating several inches of the bottom for the plant to root in. Its thorny vies curled over the edges of the tank as it rested, almost sleepily, in the water. They watched wide-eyed as the trap closed swiftly on a curious fly and twitched its vines with a satisfied rustle.

"Dude," Zack exclaimed looking over his brother's shoulder, "You've created a monster!"

Cody gulped nervously, knowing his brother was right but unwilling to admit any failing he replied, "Don't be foolish Zack. This plant is a triumph of botany and will be of immeasurable benefit to-"

"Stuff it, Codes," Zack stopped his discomfited brother, "That _thing_ is a monster. It looks like something out of my Captain Jim-bob Sherwood comics. An alien plant. A carnivorous alien plant!" Suddenly Zack laughed, "Just like on planet 97833-R in issue number 159 'The Green Thumb' where Jim-Bob, even though it's against his personal policy, had to create an herbicide to kill the plant or lose his girlfriend to its people eating clutches."

There was a long pause as the whole class stared at Zack.

"What?" he said looking around, "It's a comic! He has lasers!" In an aside to Woody he whispered, "And the chick is HOT!"

"I didn't know you knew what an herbicide was," Maya said looking a little charmed.

Zack puffed out his chest and grinned, "I am a man of many skills."

Before anyone could be too impressed Cody broke in, "He didn't know until he read that comic and asked _me_ what it was."

The class laughed lightly while Zack deflated and shook his head, "Dude, not cool."

"Seriously though guys," Bailey said, "That plant is the scariest thing I've ever seen, and I've seen my Uncle Abner after some moonshine and a dip in the chum bucket streaking through Cousin Clem's alligator farm. Even the gators wouldn't take a snap at him."

There was another round of staring, this time with Bailey at its center.

"What?" Bailey put a hand on her hip and pointed at her classmates with the other, "Like none of you have embarrassing relatives."

"I must admit," Dr. Lipsky stated looking over each project, "The maturation chambers did even better than I had anticipated. And your creativity in combining plants has been inspiring, class. Though I'm at a loss as to what benefit a daisy vine and the carnivorous plant might be. One last week to see if the plants are viable in real soil, and then we'll see who made the best plant."

***'***

Over the third week each plant grew like weeds. Not surprising since each had a bit of weed in it.

London and Maya carefully tended their globe roses, watching with joy and excitement as new buds appeared and bloomed. They'd each cut a globe from the main stalk and carried it around the ship getting a lot of attention from passengers. Maya had dried her globe and pressed London's for her as a keepsake.

Woody and Becky's vines had multiplied and overgrown their trellis pot within two days. They were unsure of how to tame it so Becky just started braiding the vines together. Eventually she had them braided so thoroughly that they started to grow out in the braids, twining themselves together without her guiding hand.

Bailey and Zack's grew the fastest, but they kept it trimmed to a reasonable size and harvested the hulls each time they cut it back. The chefs on the ship had begun to use what Bailey and Zack harvested from the plant to make the ship's dinner rolls, they had never received so many compliments on their meals.

While Bailey and Zack's grew the fastest, Cody and Addison's grew the largest. By the time the last week was out their flytrap was easily twice the size of a grown man with thorny vines stretching out. It was so large they'd had to move it out of the classroom and onto the sky deck where it became a curiosity and a draw for tourists. They'd begun feeding it raw steaks just to make sure the traps stayed closed. They'd already lost Bucky the rat to its gaping maw and were unwilling to take the chance on letting it get a hold of anything else. They'd tried, once, to cut it down to a more manageable size, but its vines resisted the cut and had seized the hedge clippers and gouged deep scratches into their arms. After that they felt it was best to leave it be. At least out on the sky deck they might have a chance to dump it into the salt water if it got to be too much of a problem, hopefully the water would kill it as it was bred to be a fresh water plant.

Dr. Lipsky went over the team reports on their plants. Each team had passed the assignment as they'd all successfully grown a hybrid plant, but he still had to decide who had created the best plant and would win the dinner.

"As you all know, everyone receives a passing grade for this project. But only one team will receive the prize of a gourmet dinner and international acclaim." He turned a winning smile on his eager students, "Each team created a very unique plant. London and Maya grew a full bouquet a stem. Woody and Becky created a daisy vine. Bailey and Zack may have just found the solution to world hunger with their bamboo-wheat. And Cody and Addison made…well, they have certainly provided fodder for science fiction novels." He paused while the class chuckled and ribbed Cody and Addison a little. "You each successfully created a brand new plant, and for that you are to be congratulated. But only two of those plants may have an impact on the world at large. The globe roses have the potential to revolutionize romantic celebrations the world over, while the bamboo-wheat could end world hunger. As a scientist I must fall on the side of the plant which represents the greatest contribution to the scientific community, which means that the team of Bailey and Zack and their bamboo-wheat are the winners of this competition. Congratulations."

The class clapped politely while Zack hooted and danced around the room and Bailey patted their plant fondly. The rest were disappointed, but satisfied with the plants they'd created.

All except Cody and Addison.

"We did create a monster, didn't we?" Addison asked Cody.

"Yeah," Cody said softly, "And we should probably get rid of it before it becomes a nuisance."

Addison nodded her head in agreement.

Neither of them saw the thorny tendril hanging in the corner of the classroom retreat through a crack in the wall.

***'***

Two days later, Halloween Sunday, Bailey and Zack stood in front of the doors of the best restaurant on the _S.S. Tipton_ in the late evening waiting for Dr. Lipsky to show up. They made small talk and actually got pretty involved in a conversation about wilderness survival, so involved that when next they looked at a clock an hour had passed and their teacher was a no-show.

"That's odd," Bailey said, "He's usually very punctual."

"Should we go see what's holding him up?" Zack offered.

"I think so," Bailey agreed.

The two headed towards the guest quarters where Dr. Lipsky had a suite. They turned to go down the hall his room was in and were brought up short by a thick wall of thorny vines.

"What the heck?" Zack poked at the vines but hastily retreated when the one he'd poked swiped back at him.

Bailey watched this with a surprised "Horsefeathers!" dropping from her lips. "What is going on here?"

Zack grabbed Bailey by the wrist and dragged her back down the hall they'd come. "I've seen this before. Remember when London, Woody, and I had to do that science project growing vines?"

Bailey nodded, "When Cody and I were looking for that sea monster, yes."

"Well," Zack continued, "That vine is behaving like the vines we grew after London's energy drink got into it. You remember us telling you guys it was like the thing had a mind of its own?" He waited for Bailey's nod before continuing, "And that looked like part of Cody and Addison's monster plant."

Bailey's eyes went wide, "Oh my goodness. Carnivorous sentient plant. Not good. We've got to stop it!"

Zack nodded grimly, "Before it hurts anyone else. If it's thinking like I think it's thinking then Dr. Lipsky was its most recent meal."

Bailey went a particularly ill shade of green and closed her eyes even as Zack kept propelling them both forward. Then she said, "We need to ask Cody and Addison what all they put into that thing."

"Right," Zack agreed and the two went dashing off to the student rooms.

***'***

Addison had just returned to the room she shared with Becky after discussing with Cody the plan to destroy their plant. She wasn't paying too much attention to her surroundings and only turned on the lights after she'd closed the door when she heard the lock turn without her having turned it.

When the bright lights came on she stared startled at the vine creeping over the door knob. "Oh no," she intoned. She slowly turned around and let out a scream of pure terror at what she saw.

The room was completely overgrown with thorny vines. One flytrap mouth pushed its way out of the bathroom door. It was closed, but a hand protruded from between its closed teeth…a hand dripping blood…a hand she recognized as Becky's by the daisy vine bracelet wrapped around the wrist.

She screamed again and turned to try and pry the door open. She ripped the vine from the knob, slicing her palm open on its thorns as she did so. She rushed to turn the lock but it was too late. The precious seconds she'd used to stare horrified at the scene of Becky's demise had given the vines a chance to reach her legs. They crawled up, piercing skin, and yanked her backwards.

She tripped face first onto the floor, breaking her nose and splitting her lip. With blood dripping from her face the plant went into a frenzy, as if it could sense it, and dragged her more quickly towards a second trap. She screamed and tried to scramble away, but the vines clung ever tighter and dug their needles more deeply into her flesh immobilizing her.

She was lifted from the floor; clear gouges in the wood paneling were the marks her nails left as she tried to struggle her way out of the murderous plant's grip. The vines lifted her higher, she dangled screaming and crying as she was pulled closer to the plant's mouth. She thrashed in mid-air, hoping to gain even a moment more of freedom, but the plant's hold on her was firm and it effortlessly lay her in the trap that was to be her tomb.

She screamed watching the light around her disappear as the teeth closed in until she was in darkness.

She screamed feeling the sides of the plant squeeze her even more tightly.

She screamed until she choked when the plant had compressed her too much to breathe.

When her door burst open and Zack and Bailey stood on the threshold they were just in time to hear the sickening squish as Addison's body was crushed within the plant's jaws. They wasted no time in hurriedly closing the door and rushing to Cody and Woody's room.

***'***

As they ran they heard people screaming and other frantic footfalls. The plant was attacking the whole ship, killing people to feed its insatiable hunger.

They burst into Cody and Woody's room and found more horror. The acrid taste of blood hung in the air.

So, too, did Woody hang.

Woody was strung up among the vines, hanging limply by the neck and obviously dead. The vines had slithered around him, their inches long thorns puncturing him all over and spilling his blood in dark pools on the floor. The fatal thorn had torn into his neck, arterial spray coated the wall and dribbled down the length of the vine.

They didn't wait to watch another trap mouth unfurl to devour its prey.

***'***

They ran out to the sky deck, the source of all this horror sat quivering in its tank. It had grown larger even in the last few hours since they'd seen it. Its original trap mouth stood grinning at them, filled with a lump they could only identify as Mr. Moseby by the monogrammed handkerchief impaled on one of its long teeth. Behind that original head was a riot of blooming flowers, the petals dropping away to reveal seed pods.

Cody stood in front of his creation, "You have to stop this!" he shouted at his plant. "It isn't right, you killing all these people!"

He paused as if listening then shouted desperately at the plant, "No! No! I didn't want that! Yes, I wanted the recognition and yes, I wanted to win, and yes, I want her back but not at this cost! Nothing is worth this many lives!"

He paused again, "What? She's-" He turned around and instantly locked eyes with Bailey. She took in the tears streaming down his face, the misery etched in every line. "Bailey," he breathed, and when he spoke again his voice took on a panicked tone, "Bailey! You have to believe I never wanted any of this to happen! I didn't! I had no idea things would get so out of control!"

"Cody?" Zack said, "What are you doing? Get away from that thing!" Zack dashed forward intent on pulling his brother to relative safety. Bailey caught the collar of his jacket just in time as a series of spear like vines shot between him and his twin.

"No!" Cody said, "He's no threat to you! Leave him alone! Leave them both alone! You want someone take me! I'm the one who created you. I'm the one who you should hate most. Take me!"

The vines quivered, their rustling covering the sound of Maya and London screeching onto the sky deck, panic clear on their faces. Maya barreled right into Zack, nearly topping them both into the solid wall of thorny vines.

"What the heck is going on?" London questioned fearfully. She clutched the plant she and Maya had created close to her chest; her knuckles were white with the effort of keeping hold of it.

Bailey answered, "Cody's talking to his plant. It's apparently sentient and intent on killing everyone on the ship. Cody is trying to convince it that he's the one it should kill since he's the one responsible for creating it. But I don't think it wants to kill Cody."

"What's that sound?" Maya asked.

Now that they were listening they could clearly hear a not quite rhythmic tapping coming from where Cody stood still trying to reason with his plant.

"It's Morse code!" Bailey and Zack shouted at the same time.

"Oh my goodness, he really is talking to a plant. His plant really is sentient. Oh my goodness." Bailey sat down hard on the deck and put a hand to her head. She was so busy with her thoughts that she didn't feel the vines curling around her waist until it was too late. They lifted her into the air before she could scream or any of her friends could help her. But the plant wasn't savaging her, it was cradling her gently and carrying her straight to the heart of the plant…to Cody.

"Bailey!" Zack, London, Maya and Cody called at the same time. Cody with relief, the others with fear.

"I'm okay!" she called out, then softer just for Cody, "I'm okay."

"Bailey," Cody sobbed, "I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I thought if I won the contest I'd get your attention again and I could win you back. It was never supposed to go like this." He moaned piteously and fell to his knees with his head in his hands.

"Cody," she shook her head. "You certainly have my attention," she said wryly as the plant deposited her next to her ex-boyfriend. She sank slowly to her knees beside him and tentatively touched his shoulder, "I know you didn't mean for this to happen. Of course you didn't. But Cody, you were never going to win me back."

He looked up at her and she read in his face all the sorrow he'd been living with, that he'd let fester and grow until creating a plant like this had seemed like a good idea, and she lost her breath for a moment to see what she'd reduced him to.

A moment that was just long enough for the plant to seize her again and rip her away from Cody. He tried to grab her, to help her, but he was too late.

She was cocooned in vines and impaled. She felt it as each and every thorn slid into her flesh, certain the plant intended her to feel it all, piercing and tearing as they wriggled along her body. She felt the heat of her blood seep down her skin in rivers, the tangy scent of it filled her nostrils as she drew breath to scream her agony. Agony that was as much physical as mental, for she knew she would never get the chance to make amends with Cody, never get to explain to him why they couldn't have been together again, and never get the chance to see either of them find the right one for them. Her screams lasted loud and long, piercing the dark night and reverberating in the bones of her friends, they only ended when a vine slithered around her neck and tore out her throat…then she was forced to suffer in silence, her lungs filling with blood and gurgling up and down her torn windpipe, slowly losing herself and feeling her world go dark around her, until she bled out and knew no more.

"No!" Cody cried, "NO! Why did you do that? We were talking! She was finally talking to me!" He listened to the frantic tapping of the plant, "What? I knew she wasn't going to take me back! I knew that! And I couldn't blame her for it! Who would want to be with a man that could create such a horrible monster?"

He collapsed into sobs and the plant curled a loving vine around his shoulders.

***'***

As Cody argued with his creation Zack, Maya and London retreated behind the drinks bar for cover.

"What are we going to do?" London moaned with tears streaming down her cheeks, "That thing killed Bailey!"

Zack fought to master his own emotions as he replied, "I don't know London. I don't know how to stop it. You saw how it reacted to being cut; I don't know how to kill it."

Maya rubbed hard at her eyes for and looked at Zack for a long moment. Suddenly her jaw dropped and an incredulous smile lit her face, "Yes, you do."

"What?" Both Zack and London asked.

"You know how to kill it Zack," Maya said, gaining steam and hope as she spoke, she grabbed his arm and shook it, "You told us how with your Captain Jim-Bob Sherwood story!"

The proverbial light bulb lit above Zack's head, "Herbicide! We have to make an herbicide!"

He looked around them at the supplies they had. All the makings of a great banan-o-rama smoothie and the supplies he used to clean up the bar. Hopefully he'd be able to make something toxic enough to kill that thing.

"Okay," he said, "I'm going to need both of you to help me. Get everything around here we could throw into a blender. We're gonna take this weed down!"

***'***

Insistent tapping intruded on Cody's grief. His plant, his child, was trying to speak with him.

"No," Cody whispered harshly, his voice rough from crying, "No. I won't listen to you anymore! I'm done! You're wrong! Bailey wasn't what you thought she was! She was sweet, and kind, and smart, and everything I could have asked for and I took her for granted! It's my fault we split up, okay? Mine. Not hers! You don't know anything about it! I broke up with her! And you killed her!"

The plant tapped the ground louder and faster.

"No! That's not what I wanted! I know what I said, but I didn't know you were listening! I didn't know you _could_ be listening! You're a plant! I never wanted her dead! I knew we wouldn't get back together, I knew it! I just wanted another chance. It was okay that she said no! You shouldn't have killed her. You shouldn't have." He trailed off into soft sobs as he curled into the deck pressing his forehead down, his fists pounding the smooth wood with each quiet cry.

He went quiet for a time and so did the plant with its one vine still resting gently across Cody's shoulders. Cody breathed deeply, gathering his strength, his mind, and letting his emotions wash over him. He breathed as his head filled with the dual fires of rage and grief. He let out a primal scream and charged his creation with a pocketknife as his only weapon.

The plant raged back, stung by the betrayal of its creator…its father. It rattled its branches, its version of a yell, and its shook its vines making its quivering leaves sound out as a sinister hiss.

Before Cody ever reached the main body of the plant he was captured by all four limbs. The knife was twisted out of his grip, thorns digging into the back of his hand and making him cry out in pain and shock. The vines gripped him tightly, thorns grabbing at his clothes and skin with equally rough grasps, and he was pulled from the floor. The thorns bit him deeply and dug in further as he writhed in their grasp completely helpless. He hissed a vicious line of curses at the plant ignoring its Morse pleas for understanding as he struggled to free himself until he'd enraged it so much that it simply pulled him apart, tearing him in half in an instant and spilling his innards on the deck.

He didn't even have enough time to feel the pain.

***'***

The plant dropped the two halves of its creator onto the deck of the ship. Its leaves quivered, whether in rage or grief or both it was impossible to tell.

It opened its massive mouth. The hanky was still dangling from one tooth but the body of the irritating little man was gone, devoured. Now it would need a fresh meal. The plant briefly considered the halves of its creator, but discarded that idea as too disrespectful. Its creator-father might not have loved it, but it loved him even though he'd made it angry and would not do worse than it had already done to its life-giver. The corpse of its creator's former mate was also considered, but she was already drained of the blood that made humans so delicious and it wanted no part of that female inside it, tainting it as she had its creator-father. No, it would simply have to capture a fresh victim, there were plenty still aboard the ship.

The plant felt each of its smaller maws feasting on the ship's passengers, felt its long vines ripping into human flesh, and quivered with the knowledge that it had so easily taken this ship. If it reached land it could just as easily take over there, easier because it could spread into the earth and multiply faster than the humans could stop it. Thinking of the seed pods waiting at its back the plant drew them carefully down into the protection of its vines; it would save those for when the ship eventually crashed into land…nothing would stop it now. It had lost the love of its creator, if it had ever had it, and there was nothing holding it back from crushing weak humanity between its bloodthirsty jaws.

***'***

Zack was mixing his toxic concoction as quickly as he could, but it didn't feel quite deadly enough yet.

They'd dumped every cleaner they could get their hands on into this thing, and several unidentifiable things from the trash, and even what little fruit remained in storage. But it just wasn't enough. Something was missing.

"What else have we got, girls? Anything?"

Maya shook her head, "Nothing over here. You've already got all the bleach and Clorox I could find."

Zack nodded, "I've got nothing left in my section, either. London?"

London, who'd had her back to her friends, turned around with one arm dangling a filthy sock in front of her while the other plugged her nose, "Nust thz."

"Whoa," Zack flapped a hand in front of his face, "That's one of Woody's gym socks! Perfect! Drop it in!"

"Really?" Maya asked, "A sock?"

"I can't think of anything more toxic than the stench of Woody's feet, can you?"

Neither of the girls could think of anything unhealthier than Woody's filthy socks, and so London dropped the sock into the already toxic mixture. As soon as the soiled cotton made contact with the liquid the whole thing frothed. It bubbled nearly out of the bucket they'd made it in, but when it settled down they saw the mixture had turned color from the original murky brown it had become a blazing neon green…a conversion that should have been impossible to achieve.

"Alright, ladies, I think this is it."

"How are we going to get this into its mouth?" London asked.

Zack grinned, "The same way I always deliver wet surprises to unsuspecting prank victims." He pulled out an opened bag of unused water balloons and one large water gun. "Let's get filling."

They rushed to fill as many water balloons as they could make before the plant remembered they were there, stashing completed ones in easy reach on their persons. Zack filled up his water gun and hefted it in his hands. The toxic fumes of the herbicide were making his head spin, but he kept firm hold of their only hope against this deadly plant.

***'***

Just as they emptied their bucket to fill the last balloon the wall of vines parted and spread out seeking fresh prey.

Their movement revealed the horror behind it, Cody's split corpse cooling on the deck and Bailey's macabre cocoon still dripping blood. The open trap of the main plant drew all their attention and they rushed carefully forward, avoiding the swipes of searching vines.

London was the first to hurl one of their toxic water balloons into the wide open jaws of their leafy enemy. A direct hit the rubber burst with a splash upon one of the inner needles and the liquid trickled deeper into the plant. The plant shivered, its vines clacking together and making a racket. One vine reached up and scraped across the inside of the trap, obviously attempting to remove the foul liquid.

The three teens watched as the vine that made contact with the liquid withered and broke off, as did the needle which pierced the balloon and parts of the trap leaf that the liquid had spilled down.

"We don't even have to feed this stuff to it to kill it!" Zack realized, "Hurry, find its roots. If we can get this stuff into the roots the whole thing'll die!"

The three rushed the plant, tossing balloons into thick clumps of vines and destroying the plant.

Furious and panicked the plant lashed out. Its swiping vines caught London and sent her flying. She crashed into another wall of vines, but these were dead already struck by a balloon. She clawed out of the brittle branches and returned to her friends' sides, a limp the only sign of her ordeal.

They continued dodging and damaging lashing vines until they were right up against the main stalk of the plant. They tore at its base, ripping out leaves and vines and acquiring a huge collection of cuts from vicious thorns, hoping to expose the tank which held the roots.

After much cursing and pain they finally exposed one corner of the tank.

It was enough.

Zack shoved the nozzle of his water gun into the exposed corner and shot every last drop of their makeshift herbicide into that tank.

The plant froze, feeling something alien attack its roots. Then it started to shake. Then it seized violently sweeping the entire deck breaking furniture and scoring the paneling. It flailed and thrashed.

Its death throes shook everything around the teens.

Zack threw an arm over each girl and pulled them down with him, making them as small a target as possible. He kept his eyes on the whipping plant, watching as it began to wither.

The base turned an ugly brown. That brown quickly grew as the poison in the roots spread throughout the entire plant. Leaves shriveled and curled up, dropping to the deck only to be swept into the wind. Vines dried-up and became brittle, cracking off in droves and crashing to the deck. The traps he could see opened and closed in a pantomime of death cries before turning black and dropping off.

The great maw of the main stalk made an almighty boom as it sheared from the stalk and fell to the deck, denting the planks and shaking the teens right beside it.

When the rustles and scratches stopped Zack stood and helped his friends to their feet.

"We did it," Maya said, "We killed it."

"Yeah," Zack whispered, turning sad eyes to the desecrated remains of his younger brother. "Too bad it took so long."

"Zack…" Maya whispered. Her breath caught in her throat when he turned tear filled eyes on her. She felt her own eyes fill in response, "Oh Zack," she reached out and pulled him to her. They clung together as they wept.

London limped away from them and sank onto a clear patch of flooring. She pulled out her cell phone and hit number two on her speed dial, "Daddy," her subdued voice immediately had his full attention, "Daddy, I need you. There's-" her eyes filled with tears and her voice grew thick in her throat, "oh, god-the ship. Daddy, we need help. There's-There's so much blood, Daddy. And so many dead. Please, we need, we need help." Her cell phone slid out of her grasp and clattered to the deck as she brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face against them. Sobs wracked her slender frame and she wrapped her arms tight around her waist.

***'***

It was a testament to Tipton power and influence that before any of them had finished with their initial bouts of grief and shock the sounds of whirling helicopter blades reached their ears.

Three helicopters landed amongst the desiccated remains of the giant plant blowing the husks into the ocean. Three teams of Mr. Tipton's Special Forces disembarked from the helicopters and searched the ship for survivors, bringing the very few who had lived to the sky deck where a medic was wrapping London's ankle and treating her mangled hands.

Miraculously Miss Tutweiller had escaped the whole ordeal unscathed. The plant hadn't penetrated the ship deeply enough to reach her rooms in the bowels of the ship. She had only discovered the existence of the plant when Mr. Whiskers had escaped her room after finally having learned to turn a door knob and she had gone chasing after him and run directly into an already withered vine three levels above. She crawled and tore her way through the vines making her way above decks and had run into one of the Special Forces men, who had caught Mr. Whiskers. He had handed over her cat and escorted her to the sky deck.

When she saw the state of her remaining students and heard the fates of the others she steeled herself to be strong for them. Zack and Maya had each other, she could see their hands clutched tightly together as they stared out over the ocean instead of at the mess aboard the ship…she couldn't blame them for looking away. London, though, was a different matter. She was all alone now that the medic had treated her wounds and Miss Tutweiller carefully sat herself next to her shell-shocked student. She released her hold on her cat to wrap an arm around her student hoping to comfort her even a little.

London, feeling Miss Tutweiller's arm come around her, leaned heavily into her teacher and tried to fight back the tears threatening to fall. A futile battle, she realized, as the hot tears seared paths through the grime on her face to spill onto her bandaged hands. She heard Miss Tutweiller murmur "oh, sweetie," softly and felt her teacher's grip around her shoulders tighten. She let herself go and turned fully into her teacher and was immediately wrapped in a comforting and solid embrace, one she imagined a mother might give, and gave herself over to her tears.

***'***

The remains of the plant were immediately burned, every piece of it they recovered. Special firey attention was paid to the seed pods, just to ensure this monstrosity would never ever grow again.

Schematics for Dr. Lipsky's maturation chamber were found in his cabin and logged into Tipton archives. Functioning models were produced and used to aid in the growth of sensitive plants, rare medicinal plants, and useful hybrid plants worldwide. Dr. Lipsky was awarded the Scientist of the Year medal posthumously by the Innovative Scientific Creation and Adaptation Convention Committee. He was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously for the incredible impact his maturation chamber had on the world at large.

Zack made sure the bamboo-wheat he and Bailey had bred made it out and was used to help people. Mr. Tipton was proud to fund such a humanitarian project. A cut of the profits Mr. Tipton made from raising the new wheat was sent to Bailey's family, poor consolation for the loss of their daughter but helpful nonetheless. A portion was also given over to Zack himself to use as he saw fit. He founded The Cody Martin Youth Center of the Arts and Sciences, an institution dedicated to fostering a love of both in youths.

The globe roses that Maya and London had created were also carefully bred and cultivated. They became the most popular flower for Valentine's Day and anniversaries…they were also featured in many weddings, including the wedding of Zack and Maya nearly a decade later.

Mr. Tipton, as a special favor to his devastated daughter, created a park in the heart of Boston and grew Woody and Becky's braided daisy vines and the rose globes in a special meadow at the center of the park. The park became a monument to those who lost their lives aboard the _S.S. Tipton_ on Halloween night 2010.

Stories about that night became almost as popular as stories about the Titanic. The magnitude of the tragedy was even greater for the _S.S. Tipton_, but the cause was infinitely more foolish. Movies were made. Books were published. Sensational headlines appeared in newspapers and magazines every few years.

But from those who were in the heart of it, nothing was ever heard. They kept their confidences and only spoke of the incident with one another. The whole world knew it was Zack, Maya, and London who had killed that plant and prevented it from taking root anywhere, in fact they became celebrities of a sort, but the public was never told the story directly from any of the sources.

It wasn't until London Tipton was on her deathbed, nearly ninety years later, that the full story came out. She was the last survivor still alive and she felt it was time for the truth to be told.

She gathered her children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren to her side and related the whole tale beginning with two rowdy ten year old twins in the Boston Tipton Hotel and ending with her sobbing in the arms of the teacher who would become her best friend and confidant on the deck of the _S.S. Tipton_. When she finished she smiled the most peaceful and beautiful smile her family had ever seen and breathed her last, her spirit rising up to join those of her friends separated from her so long ago.

**THE END**

*****'*****

_**A/N: **__Huh. Was that what you expected from a mutant plant story? I'm a little surprised at myself. What say you, gentle readers_?

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '


	7. XxLadyStrengthxX

**You Will Pay, Bailey Pickett**

by XxLadyStrengthxX

*****'*****

The ship seemed to be flooded by the colors of orange, purple, and black. Witches, ghosts, and monsters of all sort decorated every hall and room, trying to get the passengers in the spirit of Halloween. Since they were in the middle of the ocean during the holiday, the S.S. Tipton faculty decided to throw a dance in the ballroom, letting everyone have their chance of celebrating. The students were hyped as they explained their costumes to probably each and every other teenager on board. Normally, if there were a contest, they'd all be keeping it themselves, but there wasn't any competition, so they all talked freely about the subject.

"I'm thinking about going as _The Thing _from _The Fantastic Four_," Woody Fink shared as he took a bite from his burger. He wiped the ketchup off his face with his sleeve and turned to Addison. "How about you?"

She shrugged and licked her lollipop. "I don't know... I was thinking about dressing up like Katy Perry from her video of _California Gurls _because I love candy," Addison answered.

"Yeah, do that! It sounds super sexy," Zack Martin added, earning a slap across the chest from his girlfriend, Maya. "Oww! What?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Way to _not_ hit on another girl _right in front of me_!" she told him, sarcasm burning with every word.

Zack held up his hands in defeat. "Sorry, I was just saying it was a great costume idea, that's all!" he defended.

"Anyways!" Addison inserted. "I _was_ going to do that, but it's too provocative. I'm still going along with my candy theme though... I'm dressing up as a giant _Sugar Baby._"

"Oh, can I be your _Sugar Daddy_?" Woody asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Addison giggled and nodded before kissing his cheek. "Sure!"

"Yesss!" Woody exclaimed, making the rest of the group silently gag.

"Moving on! I'm being _Captain Underpants_!" Zack announced. "That way, I can wear my underwear over some tights and Mr. Moseby can't get me in trouble! I will just tell him that it's part of my costume."

"He can still make you change, Zack," Cody Martin said.

"Cody, I don't think he'll make him put on something else. It's just underwear; I mean, unless he wears some sort of lingerie-" Bailey Pickett paused and pointed to Zack. "No ideas!" She turned to Cody again. "-then that might get him in trouble, but white underwear is harmless, right?"

The rest of the people nodded in agreement, causing Cody to slouch in his seat. "Fine, then... Maya, what are you going as?"

Maya smiled and looked to Zack. "I'm going as the number one Yankees fan!"

Zack banged his head on the Easy Squeezy counter. "Why would you do that to me?"

Maya laughed. "Because it's funny to torment you."

"You don't see me laughing," he argued as he lifted his head back up.

Maya rolled her eyes once more and turned to Cody. "What are you dressing up as, Cody?"

"Only the greatest person to ever walk the face of this earth!" Cody exclaimed, gaining the attention from everyone else.

"You're going as me? Yay!" London Tipton cheered as she clapped while jumping up and down.

"No, London, not you. I'm talking about Colin Percival!" Cody corrected, and as the gang got silent, his smile fell. "Oh, come on! You don't know who he is? He fou-"

"-founded the 1,000,000,000,000,000 binary of Pi," Bailey interrupted as if it were no big deal.

Cody groaned at his ex-girlfriend's rude behavior. "Fine, Miss Smarty Pants, what are you dressing up as?"

Bailey swallowed the last bit of her smoothie and put down the cup. "Nothing."

Woody gasped. "You're going naked? Bailey, I don't think Mr. Moseby will like that..."

"No, Woody, I mean that I'm not dressing up for the dance - I'm not even going to the dance," Bailey said.

"Why not?" London asked. "It's one of the biggest nights on the ship!"

"I don't celebrate Halloween. I haven't in eight years. Not since..." she trailed off.

"Since what, Bailey?" Maya questioned.

"Nothing! It's no big deal actually. I think I'm just going to head up to my cabin and go to bed. See y'all in the morning!" Bailey said.

"But it's four in the afternoon!" Zack called as she ran toward the elevator.

"What do you think that was all about?" Addison asked in general.

"I don't know, but someone should go ask," Maya replied and before anyone could offer, Cody was on it.

***'***

Bailey was sitting on her bed, going through an old scrapbook she'd made. There was a knock on the door and she called out, "Come in!"

Her attitude drastically changed when Cody walked in the room. "Oh, it's you... What do you want?" she asked sourly.

"I just wanted to talk... You know, catch up," Cody answered.

"Uh-huh, sure..."

"Seriously, what's up with not celebrating Halloween? You can tell me, we're _friends_."

Bailey cringed at the emphasis he put on the last word. She sighed because she knew she could trust him with anything. "Okay, I'll tell you, but if you say another word to anyone else, I'll make sure it's the last thing you ever say."

Cody nodded and sat in her desk chair opposite of her. "Go ahead - I'm all ears."

"Okay, here goes."

_Flashback - Pickett Farm - 2002_

_It was Halloween night and the wind blew fiercely, making the tree branches whip through the stormy air. Rain came down in showers as thunder and lightning filled the dark sky. An eight-year-old Bailey looked out her window, unafraid of the storm. She lived in Kansas and saw this type of weather often, so it didn't scare her._

_But that one particular night did, because just outside her bedroom window was a scarecrow - one of the freakiest she'd ever seen. This was no ordinary scarecrow, for it was made as a Halloween decoration and it was new. Their old scarecrow, in which she'd grown to love over the years by putting in the yard each Halloween, had been taken by a twister in the spring. The tornado had lifted their storage barn right off the ground, taking all its contents with it._

_Since the old, happy scarecrow was gone, it had to be replaced. Her father had gone on his own, not caring about his daughters' opinions, and got the first scarecrow he saw. He brought it home and showed it to his girls. The younger ones cried while some others hid, and Mrs. Pickett told her husband to take it back because it frightened the children. However, Bailey acted as if she were the bravest girl of all and offered to put it up._

_She was praised with a pat on the head and a, "That's my girl," from her father as she went out in the yard. The orange and yellow leaves fell all around her as she mounted the new scarecrow on his post. When she was finished, she stood back and smiled, hoping he'd return one just like the old scarecrow had done all those years. Unfortunately, this one had a scowl on his face and showed no appreciation of being on the Pickett farm._

_Bailey frowned and walked up to it, sticking her little tongue out then muttering, "You're the stupidest scarecrow ever! I hope a twister gets you, too..." And with that she marched toward the house._

_But as she continued for the door, a raspy voice carried through the wind, saying, "You will pay, Bailey Pickett, for what you have said to me..." Bailey whimpered and sprinted until she was in the safety of her room. Throughout the rest of the day, she would check her window, making sure the scarecrow was still in the yard._

_As night came, that's when the storm began, and Bailey watched from her window as the wind threw the scarecrow around on his post. It was way past her bedtime, but she was afraid that he would take his opportunity for revenge. She believed that if she watched him all night, he wouldn't do anything, and so far he hadn't._

_Bailey jumped as her bedroom door was opened and her father walked in. "Bailey, sweetheart, it's time for you to get in bed." He walked to her side and followed her gaze out the window, where she hadn't moved her eyes from the entire time he was in there. "You lookin' at the scarecrow I gotchya?"_

_Bailey nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the figure made of straw. Mr. Pickett sighed, "Alright, Darlin', I know you like that scarecrow an' all, but it's time for you to hit the sack, ya hear?" He gently picked her up, but stopped when she gripped her tiny hands on the windowsill._

_"I can't leave," she simply whispered. "I can't leave or he'll get me."_

_"Who will get ya, girl?" her father asked timidly._

_Bailey pointed outside. "The scarecrow - he told me I would pay for what I said..."_

_"Now, now, Bailey dear; scarecrows can't talk, so there's no way he could've said he was goin' to get ya'. Plus, they can't get off their post," Mr. Pickett comforted._

_"But I told him he was stupid and that a twister should get him too... He didn't like that," Bailey whispered again, hands still on the windowsill as she continued to stare outside._

_"Bailey, he didn't say nothing," her father said strongly. "Now-" he pulled her hard and she lost her grip as he carried her toward the bed. "-you just go to sleep."_

_Bailey kicked, screamed, and protested against her father's orders. "Papa! He's gonna get me now!"_

_"Bailey Ann Pickett, shut yer mouth! Others are sleepin'!" Mr. Pickett forced her shoulders against the bed. "You'll be safe, I promise."_

_She calmed down when she saw the sincere look in his eyes. "Pinky promise, Papa?" Bailey held out her hand with her pinky up in the air._

_Mr. Pickett smiled and wrapped his smallest finger around hers. "Pinky promise; now, get some sleep." He kissed her forehead and walked toward the door. "Goodnight, Darlin'. I love ya."_

_"I love you too," Bailey answered as her father shut the door. She waited a few minutes for his footsteps to fade before jumping out of bed and looking out the window._

_The scarecrow was gone._

_Bailey stifled a scream as her eyes began to brim with tears. She didn't know what to do... The revenge seeking scarecrow was out to get her and no one believed her. She continued to look out the window, blinking several times and pinching herself, hoping to wake up from a horrible nightmare. But she was certainly awake and didn't think she could be more afraid until she heard _the voice.

_"Bailey, I told you that you would pay..." it told her from all around._

_She whimpered and let the hot tears fall freely down her cheeks. She felt as if her legs were useless because she was telling them to run, but she just stood there, frozen in place._

_"Don't try to run, Bailey; I'll find you wherever you go!" _the voice_ said again, followed by hysterical laughter that sent a chill down her spine._

_She found her voice quickly and shouted, "What do you want?"_

_Her answer came in the form of hot breath in her ear. __"You."_

_Bailey screamed and the movement in her legs came back as she turned around, knocking something over, perhaps the scarecrow. She ran out of the room, heading in the direction of her parents' room. She was stopped when a pair of red, glowing eyes stood in the doorway._

_"They can't save you, Bailey... I guess Papa's pinky promise meant nothing!" The hysterical laughter was back and filled the dark, empty hallway._

_Bailey spun on her heels, running the opposite direction. The thunder continued to roar outside and the lightning illuminated the house through the windows. She reached the stairs and looked over her shoulder, but the scarecrow was in nowhere of sight. She sighed in relief and turned forward slowly, only to be face to face with the haunting eyes._

_"Thought you got away? Not a chance; say goodbye, Bailey Pickett!" _the voice_ bellowed as he grabbed the small girl's shoulders and threw her down the stairs._

_Bailey screamed while tumbling down each step, but when she reached the bottom, her shrieks ended. As her small eyes closed, the last thing she remembered was the menacing glow of red eyes and the sound of cackling as it began to fade._

_End Flashback_

Cody was speechless as he stared at Bailey. "Yup, that's what happened," she said, looking down at her nails.

"Wh-what happened next though?" he asked.

"Mama and Papa came rushing out of their room to find me at the bottom of the staircase. I was out cold, so they rushed me to the hospital," Bailey answered.

"What was wrong?"

"The doctor said I had a severe concussion and I had broken my arm in three different places. I tried to tell my parents it was the scarecrow, but they kept trying to convince me I was having a nightmare, which caused me to sleep walk. Resulting in me falling down the stairs and breaking my body..."

"So, why don't you dress up for Halloween then?" Cody asked with a raised eyebrow. "How does a scarecrow haunting you have anything to do with dressing up?"

Bailey shrugged. "I try to act as if Halloween doesn't exist, but it's kind of hard to do when everyone is talking about it all the time. The holiday just brings back horrible memories..."

Cody nodded and stared off into space. "Wait! What happened to the scarecrow?"

Bailey laughed a little. "Oh, when we came back from the hospital, he was sitting on his post. I kept screaming for my dad to take him away, so Papa burned him. Now, I don't have to worry about his spirit haunting me..."

Cody chuckled. "You're so cute when you're scared."

"What?" Bailey asked with wide eyes.

Cody, realizing what he'd just said, stood up. "What?"

"No, what did you just say?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, you did... Something about me being cute?"

"Nope, wasn't me! Must've been the scarecrow talking!" Cody improvised.

"Cody!" Bailey scolded.

"What?"

They both just stood there for a few awkward minutes, looking at anything but each other.

"Well, thanks for sharing that with me and I promise I won't say anything!" Cody said as he reached for the doorknob.

Bailey followed him and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to go red. "Thanks, Cody, for listening to me when I needed someone to talk to."

"You're welcome. Come on, let's go see how the others' costumes are coming along," Cody offered.

Bailey nodded and they both headed to their friends' cabins.

But as they left, a pair of red, glowing eyes replaced the black, beaded ones of a stuffed pig on Bailey's bed. Loud, hysterical laughter filled the empty room and the familiar voice that haunted Bailey all those years whispered, "_You will pay yet again, Bailey Pickett, for what you have done to me." _

___*****'*****_

**_A/N:_**_Thanks for reading...please review! This is my first time to contribute to any type of collection! Oh, I don't own these characters! :P_

_Thanks to Wyntirsno for checking this. _


	8. Snapplelinz II

**Holes In The Wall**

by Snapplelinz

*****'*****

They were all seated around the wooden coffee table, talking animatedly and laughing together. The kids were all giggling happily and chasing each other around the richly decorated Christmas tree all along the plush white carpet. Bailey watched the kids in their exploits for a few minutes, completely lost in thought. It had taken a lot of preparation to make this trip happen, but London's many contacts had finally come through for them. So London, Cody, Bailey and Zack had departed from Boston with their brood of children and travelled along all the way to California for Christmas vacation. It had been close to a year since they had all last seen each other, what with London starting her new fashion line, Cody starting his new job at TMI and Bailey and Zack moving into their new house. But they were all finally together for the holidays and Bailey couldn't be happier. She should've been happier.

And yet, there was this nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right. She sifted through her mind for what could possibly be wrong, landing unceremoniously on a few unpleasant memories just from that day alone. First, there had been the atrocious flight with its delay of an hour right before take-off and the atrocious turbulence during the flight itself. Then the car rental service that they'd made their booking through had delivered the wrong car to the airport; so naturally, the four of them (along with five screaming children) had to go down to the dealership to get the car they wanted in the first place. Then they had gotten lost en-route to the vineyard estate just outside of Los Angeles that they were supposed to be staying in for the next two weeks. But they found the place at last and unpacked their belongings before settling down for a nice family dinner together in the early evening.

Bailey had to admit, the vineyard estate really was quite exquisite. It was comprised of four stately-looking 6-bedroom mansions, grouped together in an arc with sweeping gravel driveways, littered with oak trees and lush gardens filled with flowers of every colour imaginable. And if one looked to the west, you had a clear view of the vineyards several meters away, the grapes the colour of blood red under the glare of the waning sun. Bailey had to admit, the view was incredible from this vantage point of the house which Cody and London's family was occupying. She and Zack and their two daughters, Katie (6 years old) and Jessie (4 years old), were staying in the house immediately to the left. The other two houses would remain unoccupied for the duration of their stay. The elderly grounds keeper had been kind enough to give them a tour of the houses, save for one. According to him, the fourth house was currently unavailable for rental because the owners (an elderly and wealthy couple from England) wanted to have it renovated, particularly the living room.

So the grounds keeper was under specific instructions by the owners not to let anyone into the fourth mansion in case anyone got injured. Bailey had been secretly thankful for this precaution while she warned her eldest daughter (who had inherited her father's taste for adventure) in a low voice not to go near the fourth mansion under any circumstances. But it wasn't simply the dangers of a renovated house that worried Bailey, it was the grounds keeper too. While he had a wrinkly benevolent face and a courteous tone which complemented his refined and well-oiled English accent, there was something off-putting about him. Bailey couldn't help thinking that his dark brown eyes (which often looked black in the dimming light) didn't seem to match the rest of his kindly features. And then there was his overall demeanour, as if his hunched shoulders carried a weighty secret. In short, the man gave her the creeps.

Bailey tried to dismiss these disturbing thoughts while focusing all of her attention on the kids playing around the Christmas tree. She grinned to herself while she watched London and Cody's youngest son, Matthew (3 years old) chasing Jessie around the tree. And then he was closely followed by the twins, Paris and Sydney (both 8 years old), who were making scary noises with their mouths to make the younger kids run faster. Bailey still remembered when Cody told her about London first going into labour and being utterly shocked when two twin girls had come out of her.

"_Cody, I didn't know we were having twins!" London exclaimed hysterically. _

"_Sweetie, how could you not? Don't you remember a few weeks ago when the doctor did the ultra-sound and he said that they were two heart-beats?" Cody pressed patiently. _

"_I remember about the two heart-beats. But I thought he meant that our baby had two hearts, and two heads. Why do you think I freaked out so badly?" London asked weakly of her husband. _

Bailey laughed inwardly at this while she continued watching her children. Despite the age gap, she was glad that the kids got along so well, being cousins and all. Even with Jessie and Katie, she was grateful that they were so close, always playing together with their infectious happiness.

Then it dawned on her. All this time that she'd been watching the kids, she finally realised that Katie wasn't right behind Sydney and Paris like usual, trying her hardest to catch her kid sister and tickle her stomach. Bailey's eyes flitted in bewilderment around the living room. Zack was in the midst of telling another story from one of his and Cody's crazy adventures of old; Cody was adjusting the settings on his camcorder and London was kicking back with one too many cups of eggnog.

But no Katie.

"Zack!" Bailey called out sharply, trying to get her husband's attention.

"…do you remember what Mr. Moseby was wearing? He'd just come back from that roller-skating reunion with that huge afro, Bermuda shorts, Knick-Knack sunglasses and rollerskates on. And Woody had to head him off while Marcus and I got rid of the models?" Zack asked laughingly, looking on the verge of tears while regaling everyone with his humorous tale.

"Zack!" Bailey tried once more, this time with success.

Zack glanced at his wife with an impatiently puzzled expression on his face.

"Babe, what is it?"

"Where's Katie?"

"Katie?" Zack asked in confusion.

"She's playing with her sister and her cousins around the Christmas tree." He replied knowingly with a wave towards the corner of the room.

"No, she isn't. She's not in the living room." Bailey protested vehemently.

"What?" Cody questioned sharply, looking up from his camcorder.

"Where'd she go?" Zack asked curiously.

"I don't know, I thought she was here the whole time." Bailey replied quickly.

"Did she go to the bathroom while we were eating?" London questioned calmly, putting her glass onto the coffee table.

"No, I don't think so."

"Maybe she went up to bed." Cody reasoned helpfully.

"But this is yours and London's house. If she were tired, she would've already asked me and Zack to take her back to the house to sleep in her own bed." Bailey went on in a frantic tone.

"Bailey, it's gonna be ok. She's probably around here somewhere. We'll find her." Zack stated while rubbing Bailey's shoulders reassuringly.

Bailey nodded rapidly, tears forming in her eyes while she tried to pull herself together.

*****'*****

Little Katie Martin was skipping down the hallway of the house without a care in the world. She knew that her Mommy had told her not to come in here, but she couldn't help herself. While she, Bailey and Zack had been walking over to Cody and London's house that afternoon, she turned back towards the fourth mansion in the courtyard and thought she had seen an odd flash of light and a face in the window. It had reminded her of her porcelain doll that Aunt London had given her for her birthday that she'd brought with her on their Christmas vacation. As much as Katie liked playing with Jessie, she loved playing with her doll named Crystal even more. And because she had already had a baby sister, she wanted to find the source of the face in the window so that Crystal could also have someone to play with too.

She hadn't been surprised in the least when the front door opened to her touch, as if it had known she would be coming. She ignored the musty scent permeating the air while she skipped happily through the dimly hallway, Crystal swinging helplessly from her hand. Then she began skipping airily through the big living room, still not noticing anything strange in the least. The room in itself seemed to expand in size the longer she skipped through it, passing the four walls in a round-about fashion.

And as Katie started slowing down, she began to notice more of the living room itself. For one, it didn't resemble the rest of the house that was clearly under renovation. There were no hefty wooden boards strewn across the floor or dusty ladders resting against nearby walls. This room was decorated lavishly with expensively antique furniture which rested atop the plush white carpet. A single chandelier lit the entire room, which hung overhead. But instead of brightening the room, the light itself cast a rather opaque shadow on the room, illuminating the dark spots in every corner. A brass grandfather clock chimed softly in the corner of the room, the big hand sweeping across the dial like a double-edged sword.

But there were strange dark patterns on the walls to the left that caught Katie's eye, causing her to stop skipping and move closer towards them. She gasped loudly when her index finger made contact with the first pattern and encountered empty space. To her bewilderment, she realised that it was a hole: a strange circular form deliberately gouged into the wall, its brother located several centimetres from it. As Katie stared at the entire wall, she discovered that there were two pairs of holes every few centimetres, lining the left wall from top to bottom in a peculiar collage. The one that Katie had touched was as big as her hand when she made a fist. But the higher the wall went, the bigger the holes became.

Her big blue eyes widened in curiosity when she looked towards the ceiling on the left wall and saw that the larger holes were stuffed with things. Upon closer inspection, Katie realised the holes were stuffed with what looked like little china dolls. But their faces weren't shiny enough, making Katie idly think for a moment that they were in fact little children (roughly her size). But what were they doing there? Why were there so many holes? And who had made them?

While little Katie Martin pondered on these puzzling questions, she failed to notice the slightest of movements behind her. While Katie stared at the strange holes, there was another pair of holes located near the fireplace, the size of two adult hands, if they were balled into fists.

And out of those holes, two white-gloved hands slipped through, the fingers flexing ominously in the glare of the chandelier.

Katie didn't even hear his soft footsteps until he was standing right behind her, his gloved hands behind his back. Katie turned around sharply on the balls of her heels and faced the stranger with wide eyes. So that's who the face in the window belonged to. It wasn't the face of a porcelain doll at all, but a gilded porcelain mask with rosy cheeks and holes where the eyes should be. And the eyes staring out from the mask were as black as the night just beyond the front door.

Then he finally took off his mask and Katie recognised him as the English groundskeeper that she had met earlier that day. But that brought her no sense of relief when his black eyes bored right into her, like he meant to bore holes right through her. All she wanted right now was her Mommy and Daddy. As Katie tried to run past the groundskeeper, he simply grabbed her around her waist and picked her up in his arms, as easily as if she weighed the same as her porcelain doll, which now lay pathetically on the fluffy carpet. Then he placed her on her back on the glass coffee table.

"Let me go," Katie pleaded in a tiny voice, the first of her tears beginning to fall.

The groundskeeper shook his head simply and continued smiling at Katie, his grip on her arms tightening all the more while he leant in closer. And seconds after that, all that could be heard was the sound of whimpering, reflecting off the dark holes riddled into the walls.

*****'*****

Bailey gave an almighty lurch in her bed, her eyes shooting wide open in horror. The scream had died instantly on her lips, muffled by the violent hammering of her heart in her chest.

"Katie! Katie!" Bailey cried out in alarm, searching blindly for her eldest daughter in the dark bedroom.

A few seconds later, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her, muttering soothing words in her ear, easing the worst of her hysterical state.

"Bailey, it's ok. You just had a bad dream," Zack murmured comfortingly in Bailey's ear.

"But Katie –"

"She's fine. Both she and Jessie are asleep in their beds down the hall." Zack replied assuredly.

"But the dream…it was so real, Zack. We went away on a trip for Christmas vacation with the kids and Cody and London and their kids to this old house. And then the groundskeeper attacked Katie. Oh God, it was awful." Bailey whispered painstakingly, clutching her face in her hands to dispel the bad memories.

"I knew we shouldn't have watched that Halloween special on HBO tonight. Now it's gotten you all freaked out." Zack remonstrated seriously.

"Are you sure the kids are ok?" Bailey asked worriedly of Zack.

"They're fine. I'm surprised they fell asleep at all after all that candy they ate from going trick-or-treating earlier. But all your screaming and fussing is probably gonna wake them up again, and then we'll never get any sleep." Zack chided lightly.

"I'm sorry." Bailey apologised meekly.

"There's nothing to apologise for. You had a bad dream, it happens. I promise you, nothing bad will ever happen to you or the girls. Not on my watch." Zack promised seriously, cupping Bailey's face gently in his hands.

"I love you so much," Bailey whispered in a husky voice.

"I know," Zack remarked airily, his signature grin in place before Bailey leant in and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

She started getting really into the kiss when she realised what had caused her nightmare in the first place.

"Zack, the walls!" she exclaimed abruptly.

"Huh?" Zack questioned in bewilderment, his brain still a little hazy from Bailey's kissing.

"The cable company made all those holes in the living room when they were supposed to be installing the ADSL. We have to get them fixed and stopped up!" Bailey remonstrated impatiently.

"In the morning, Bails. I gotta get some sleep if I'm gonna make it through that meeting in a few hours." Zack groaned before turning over on his side once more to sleep.

"Fine. I'm gonna go check on the girls quickly." Bailey whispered in Zack's ear.

"That's great, honey. I'll have twelve." Zack mumbled sleepily and began snoring loudly.

Bailey shook her head, grinning at her husband's sleeping form before she put on a pair of slippers and exited hers and Zack's bedroom. She walked down the hallway slowly till she entered Katie and Jessie's room that they shared. The two girls were asleep in their twin beds adjacent to each other, their faces angelic against the backdrop of the moonlight. Without thinking twice about it, Bailey moved towards their beds and began shaking each of them gently out of their sleepy stupor.

"Wake up, sweethearts. You're gonna come sleep by Mommy and Daddy." Bailey urged in a tender voice.

"Is it break-fast time, Mommy?" Jessie asked in a drowsy tone.

"Not yet, honey-bunch. Come on." Bailey continued.

Both Jessie and Katie obediently got out of their beds and took Bailey's hands while they walked back to the master bedroom. Then Jessie and Katie climbed in next to Zack, who snorted something and continued sleeping. Jessie fell asleep instantly while Katie watched Bailey get back underneath the covers.

"Are you ok, Mommy?" Katie asked quietly.

"Uh huh, kiddo. Just having some trouble sleeping." Bailey admitted softly.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Katie pressed in a small voice.

"Kind of, Baby." Bailey murmured wearily.

"Don't worry, Mommy. I'll protect you," Katie whispered pleasantly before planting a sloppy kiss on Bailey's cheek and wrapping her arms tightly around Bailey's neck.

Bailey smiled and kissed Katie tenderly on the forehead as they lay there together. But the minute that Katie fell asleep, Bailey's unease returned and the memories of her nightmare returned to her in full force. So all she could do for the moment was shift over onto her side and not look at the dark spots on the walls formed by the shadows of the moonlight.

*****'*****

**_A/N: _**_This was inspired by a nightmare that I had a year ago, which is forever seared into my memory. If Mary Shelley can do it with 'Frankenstein', then so can I ; ) The pairings were inspired by Elianna22's 'Just One of the Guys' and 'Repercussions' series. Happy writing, everyone! _

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	9. Lady Emily

**Cruise Ships in the Mist **

by Lady Emily

"What's going on?" Bailey Pickett asked no one in particular. The Sky Deck was crowded, but strangely quiet, the only noise the soft murmurs of unease between the passengers and the ever-present lap of waves against the sides of the ship. It didn't take long for her to figure out what everyone was staring at as she wove through the crowd to the railing.

The ocean was different here. The water was clear, reflecting the heavy gray color of the sky, but it was full of plant life in the form of ropy brown seaweed. The waves were calm, and the seaweed bobbed up and down, up and down.

However, the seaweed, which was a common sight in many areas of the Caribbean, wasn't what had captured the attention of the nervous passengers. In the distance, a few hundred meters off, was a cloud. A cloud so thick, in fact, that it appeared completely opaque, more like a dense gray wall of fog than anything else. And it was moving at a rapid pitch- straight towards the ship.

Bailey's shoulders relaxed. Fog? Was this what had everybody so worried? She felt some sympathy for the passengers who had paid for sunny vacations to the tropics, but weather was weather- there was no helping it. Besides, it was the captain's job to worry about the course; if he thought the fog would be a problem he'd simply circumvent it. She laughed a bit to herself, people could be so melodramatic. Put them on a cruise ship and they don't have a care in the world, but a little fog rolls in and they're suddenly convinced the ship is about to sail into the Twilight Zone...

A hand gripped her arm and she jumped despite herself, gasping and covering her mouth. "Cody!" she reprimanded her ex-boyfriend in a hushed tone. "You startled me!"

"Sorry." Cody said. He wasn't looking well. His mouth was drawn into a thin line of worry. Bailey wondered if he'd gotten enough sleep last night. "Just... come away from the railing. Listen, Bails, stay below decks for a while, will you?"

"What?" Bailey scoffed. "What are you talking about? We have class in half an hour." She nudged him gently in the stomach with her elbow. "Don't tell me the weather is creeping you out too."

He didn't smile. "Forget class today." he said. "Just get London, go down to your cabin and stay there for a while, all right? And, whatever you do, stay away from the windows. And if you see Zack or Woody, tell them to do the same, okay? Please."

"What? Why?" Bailey asked. Forget about the weather, _Cody _was being creepy. _Forget class? _

"Just trust me?" Cody asked, adding, "I know we've already established that this is, for some reason, near-impossible for you to do, but trust me, just this once."

Bailey frowned at him. Why did he have to throw their breakup in her face like that? He was always doing it. How were they supposed to move on and be friends if they couldn't let the past _go?_ "Sure, Cody. Whatever." She had no intention of skipping class, but he obviously wasn't going to let her go until she said she would.

"Thank you." He squeezed her arm gently and gave her a relieved smile, and she suddenly felt extremely guilty about lying to him. He disappeared into the crowd, and Bailey cast a last look out over the ocean, seeing, to her surprise, that the fog had continued to race forward and was beginning to overtake the ship, only a few dozen meters away now. The air around her was starting to feel cold and misty, despite the fact that they were just north of Bermuda.

There was an alarm bell that caused the people on the deck to look at each other in panic, and then the captain's reassuring voice issued over the PA system. "Looks like we may be in for some unpleasant weather, folks. We ask that, for your own safety, passengers use caution on the outdoor areas of the ship. Visibility is getting low, and we don't want any accidents."

Many passengers took this announcement as their cue to go inside, heading back to their cabins, to the gym, or into one of the many shops on the plaza deck. Bailey checked her watch and realized that she should get a move on if she wanted to get to Miss Tutweiller's classroom with enough time to review her flash cards one last time before the European capitals quiz. It wasn't until she got inside, reflexively smoothing down her hair as she usually did after coming off the breezy Sky Deck, that she realized what the other passengers had found so unnatural about the fog.

How had it moved so quickly when there was no wind at all?

***'***

By the time school started, the fog was so thick that visibility was practically zero. The view from the windows of Miss Tutweiller's classroom on the upper deck was of a blank, grayish-white expanse, almost opaque except for the vague swirling and churning of the mist outside.

Miss Tutweiller stood up and looked around at her unusually sparse class. "Where is everybody this morning?"

"Maya's still sick." Zack volunteered, looking around in confusion. "But that definitely doesn't explain where Cody is."

Miss Tutweiller chewed nervously on one fingernail. "It's not like him to miss class... or all these other people." Only Bailey, Zack, Woody, Addison, London, and two or three others had even shown up.

"Maybe they're just feeling a little _under the weather_." Woody joked nervously.

"Don't joke about this..." Addison said softly, staring out the window. "It's really creepy out there..."

Bailey cleared her throat loudly. "So are we going to take this quiz, or aren't we?"

"Yes, yes, we are." Miss Tutweiller answered distractedly, staring out into the fog as if she too were unable to help herself.

She picked up the quiz papers from her desk, and just as she began to pass them out, there was another loud bell signaling an announcement. "Hello, folks, this is the captain speaking. Due to extremely low visibility, we are requesting that all passengers remain in the indoor areas of the ship until we can get through this patch of fog. I repeat, all outdoor decks are now off-limits. Please stay indoors until further notice. Thank you."

The students looked at each other in alarm. "We're stuck in here?" London repeated. "In _class_? This is a nightmare!"

"Now, now, boys and girls. It's only until we get past the worst of this fog." Miss Tutweiller reminded them, but she didn't sound particularly reassured herself. "And I have the perfect thing to take your minds off of it: a map quiz!"

Suddenly the classroom door banged open. Addison, London, and Woody screamed in fright.

A large bearded man in a yellow rain slicker, boots, and hat stood in the doorway.

"Haggis!" Miss Tutweiller cried, startled. The grizzled old sailor had a habit of popping up unexpectedly... in a very creepy sort of way. Of all the ship's crewmen to get a crush on her, it had to be the salty old Haggis.

"Ahoy." The man panted his traditional greeting. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, my little sea cucumber. The sea's awash with mystery and peril, and who knows what Neptune has in store..."

Miss Tutweiller noticed how out of breath the man was, like he'd just run a long distance. "Haggis, are you all right?" she asked, tactfully placing her fingertips on his shoulder and turning them both away from her students. "What are you doing here? You're scaring the kids."

"Aye, they've got a reason to be scared, all right." Haggis intoned morbidly. "Do you know where we are?"

Miss Tutweiller scoffed. "I'm the geography teacher, of course I know where we are." she answered. "We're in the Atlantic Ocean, just northeast of Bermuda."

"Aye..." Haggis confirmed. "We're in the Sargasso Sea..." When no one looked shocked or awed by his statement, he repeated it in frustration. "The Sargasso Sea! Sargasso!"

"Yeah..." Bailey spoke up, unimpressed. "The only sea surrounded on all sides by ocean currents, taking its name from its abundance of _sargassum_ seaweed. So there's a lot of seaweed. We saw it."

"Aye..." Haggis said. "But I take it you've never heard the _stories_..."

"What stories?" Zack asked.

"No stories!" Miss Tutweiller said. "Everyone finish your quiz! _You're scaring the kids._" she hissed again at Haggis.

Haggis ignored her, finding himself with a captive audience of students. "Maybe you all noticed when you came to class today, that there was no wind... There's never wind in the Sargasso Sea, so for hundreds of years, whenever a ship would sail into the Sargasso Sea, it would become trapped. Trapped by the unnatural lack of wind. Snared by the seaweed..."

"_Sargassum_ is a free-floating species of seaweed." Bailey pointed out skeptically. "It's not attached to the ocean floor; it couldn't snare a ship."

Haggis frowned at the girl, causing her to shrink back. "Aye, there's seaweed down there..." he said, gesturing out the window. "But that's far from _all_ that's down there. It's also a breeding ground for eels... millions and millions of 'em, and all the darkest, most evil creatures of the sea. Sea serpents, giant squid... leviathans! And that's not all... There have been... incidents."

"What kinds of incidents?" Woody asked obediently, quaking in fear.

"Ships disappearing into the Sargasso Sea, and coming out empty..." Haggis breathed. "Not a soul left on board. And none of them are ever found."

"Where do they go?" London asked meekly.

"Some say, the maritime madness comes over the ship... drifting here for days and weeks... they run out of food and begin eating _each other_ until there's no. One. Left." Haggis said.

London let out a little squeal.

"Some say," Haggis continued, "That the ghosts of all the people who've disappeared rise out of the ocean, dragging the passengers to their watery graves."

"Haggis!" Miss Tutweiller reprimanded. "Stop it!"

Haggis leaned forward. "But worst of all..." he said. "Some say that on foggy days, like this one here, the sea monsters, the creatures of the deep, surround the ship, reaching their long, slimy tentacles out of the water to GRAB-" Here, Haggis reached out and made a grasping motion inches in front of London's face, causing her to gasp. "- their unsuspecting prey, picking them off one-by-one, and swallowing them whole!"

The class was silent, the students' faces white with fear.

"Haggis!" Miss Tutweiller yelled. "You will _not _come in here and scare my students half to death! Get out!"

Chastened, Haggis twisted his yellow rain hat in his hands. "Got a bit carried away there, aye, lassie? I'll go then..." He looked seriously at Miss Tutweiller, then around at the students. "But keep a weather eye, all of you. The sea's never been one to give up her secrets... unless they're secrets you're better off not knowin'." Jamming the hat back onto his head, Haggis strode out into the fog.

"Well..." Bailey chuckled nervously as she set down her pencil. "I'm done with the quiz." No one else had even started it, of course, and Bailey laughed at her own rattled nerves as she handed the A+ paper to Miss Tutweiller. "Sea monsters... really!"

"I know!" Zack said in the same tone, a forced chuckle. "Crazy old Haggis, coming in here telling us ghost stories. He must think we're a bunch of dumb landlubbers."

"That's right..." Miss Tutweiller laughed, and the rest of the students joined in with uncomfortable laughter.

SPLAT.

Addison was the first one to scream, pointing at the window, where the white, dead face of Haggis was pressed against the glass. His wide, unseeing eyes stared into the classroom as he was shaken violently by the thick black tentacle wrapped around his neck. Slowly, his corpse slid down the window and crumpled onto the deck, leaving behind streaks of blood and saliva on the glass. Addison and Woody clung together. London ducked behind Zack, screaming shrilly.

Then another tentacle whipped into the picture, wrapping itself around Haggis's ankle, dragging him off the deck and into the water below.

Bailey gripped the edge of her desk, shaking with fear. "W-what was that?"

"S-suh-suh-suh-sea monster!" Woody yelled, causing the entire classroom to erupt into a panic once more.

Miss Tutweiller, looking pale and sick, tried to restore order. "Okay class, okay. We need to calm down. CALM DOWN!" The students quieted. "Okay, first things first." Miss Tutweiller said. "Everybody away from the windows."

As if she had to say anything. Each student was pressed as far against the back wall as they could.

"Cody told me not to come to school today..." Bailey moaned quietly.

Zack's head snapped toward her. "You've seen Cody today? Where was he?"

His questions were urgent, and Bailey suddenly realized what had him so upset. Cody was out there. "On- on the Sky Deck." she stuttered. "Before class."

Zack took a few steps toward the door, and Tutweiller caught him by the arm, stopping him. "He told me I should skip class and go back to my cabin." Bailey said slowly. "I'm sure he was headed back to his cabin as well."

"Fine, then I'll see him there." Zack said stubbornly, trying to pull out of his teacher's grip.

"I'm sure he's fine." Miss Tutweiller said. "I understand you're worried about him, Zack, but there's no need to put yourself in danger as well."

"Then what about Maya?" Zack challenged. "She doesn't know anything about what's going on. I have to warn her."

"The last person to walk out that door was killed!" the teacher hissed. "I am not going to let you go out there!"

"My brother is out there, and my girlfriend." Zack said in a hard tone. "I have to go find them."

Miss Tutweiller dropped his arm, at a loss for words.

"I'm going with you."

All eyes locked on Bailey as she stepped up next to Zack.

"You don't have to." Zack said quietly.

"Yes, I do." Bailey said, just as quietly.

"Bailey! Don't go!" London wailed.

"At least take some kind of weapon!" Woody suggested.

Bailey and Zack looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon, but the classroom was pretty sparsely supplied. Zack opted to take a meter stick, while Bailey grabbed a large pair of scissors.

"Good luck, you two." Woody said, apology for not accompanying them in his tone. He had one arm wrapped around Addison, the other wrapped around London, who were both cowering, petrified.

"Thanks." Zack said easily, his tone conveying that he didn't blame them for staying. "Take care of yourself, Woodchuck. Everyone."

"Come on." Bailey was standing at the door, her face pressed against the glass, searching the outside for any signs of the monster they'd just witnessed. But there was nothing, only cool white fog. Zack took her elbow and they pushed the door open, stepping into the white cloud. By the time the door had shut (and locked) behind them, the visibility was so bad that they could barely see each other. "Give me your hand." Bailey whispered.

Zack didn't even have it in him to make a smart remark, instead gripping her hand tightly. Together, they edged along the side of the ship, as far from the railings as possible.

There was a scream somewhere ahead, followed by a splash. The strange acoustics of the fog played tricks on their ears, making it impossible to tell how far away the scream was coming from. Bailey shuddered.

There was a swishing sound, and a long, ropy tentacle covered in suction cups whipped past Bailey's feet, ensnaring the leg of a nearby deck chair and dragging it to its doom. Bailey nearly cried out, but Zack's hand covered her mouth. "It might be listening."

"They." Bailey whimpered, nodding up and down to assure him that she wouldn't scream.

"They?"

Bailey's heart hammered in her chest. "That one was green." she choked out. "The other one... the one that... killed-"

"Was black." Zack finished grimly. "So there's more than one."

"Right." Bailey blinked back tears as she looked over her shoulder to meet his eyes, and gasped. There, hovering in the air above Zack's head, was the green tentacle poised to strike. With a strangled scream, she yanked on his arm and together they tumbled forward, the tentacle missing Zack's neck by inches. However, within seconds, the thick black tentacle reappeared in front of them, snagging Bailey's ankle as she screeched in terror.

Zack raised the meter stick and whacked the slimy appendage to no effect. Bailey yelped as the tentacle pulled her feet out from under her, causing her to slide along the deck towards the railing. Zack dropped the meter stick to hold onto her arm with both hands, playing tug-of-war with the creature for Bailey's life. Frantically, Bailey reached down to her ankle, holding the scissors like a dagger. She was shaking so hard that it took her a few tries to stab the thing.

There was an otherworldly shriek from somewhere below as the tentacle recoiled, dripping noxious black blood. Zack yanked Bailey back onto her feet and they took off running.

The Sky Deck was a nightmare. Apparently not every passenger had heeded the captain's warning, and several life-or-death struggles were taking place on the blood-spattered deck. Bailey clapped a horrified hand over her mouth as they stumbled over the green-clad torso of another smoothie bar attendant- barely recognizable as the man whose shift ended before Zack's. His legs and head were entirely gone, and the floor was slippery with blood. A dripping green tentacle rose out of the sea and snagged a woman in a bikini top and sarong, who clung to the railing, wailing, before being ripped away and flung into the churning depths.

Zack felt a wet pressure wrap suddenly around his arm, then a squeeze like a blood-pressure cuff, before his left arm erupted in pain. The thin, green rope of muscle had wound itself around his bicep, clearly intending to sever his arm. He yelled in pain, and Bailey whirled around, scissors at the ready. With both hands, she snipped into the tentacle's flesh, nearly severing it completely and showering them both with a spray of blood.

Zack shook the deadened appendage off of his throbbing arm and grabbed Bailey's hand, pulling her into the deck with the boys' cabins. They raced down the hall, both trying to ignore the screams coming from inside some of the rooms. "The portholes." Bailey gasped fearfully.

They skidded to a stop between Zack's and Cody's cabins, and Bailey twisted the handle. "It's locked!" she cried, pounding on the door. "Cody!" Her foot slipped in something sticky, and she looked down to see a puddle of dark blood seeping out from under the door. _God, no._ "Zack!"

Zack was already unlocking his own door, racing to find the spare key to Cody and Woody's cabin, pushing papers off his desk, yanking out the drawers one-by-one and turning them upside-down. Finally, there was a metallic clink as it tumbled out of the last drawer and bounced under the bed.

"Zack! Hurry!" Bailey shrieked, still rattling Cody's doorknob. "Hold on, Cody!"

"We're coming Codes!" Zack yelled hoarsely. He dove under the bed, reaching around blindly and finally coming up triumphant, key in hand. By the time he tried to get it into the lock, his hands were shaking too hard to unlock it. Bailey pushed him aside and unlocked the door, opening it and gasping.

The room was in a shambles, furniture broken, clothes, books, and other personal items strewn everywhere. The porthole flapped weakly with the swaying of the ship, the glass gone except for a few stubborn shards poking out of the frame. A long segment of black tentacle lay on the floor at their feet, oozing the blood they had seen from the hallway.

Bailey collapsed against Zack. "He's not here." she whispered, tears streaming down her bloody cheeks. "Do you think...?"

Zack wrapped an arm around her shoulders, as much to support himself as her. "I don't know." he said flatly. Clearly there had been a struggle here, but who had come out victorious? Cody, or the monster? And if Cody had won... why wasn't he here? "He fought hard." Zack said, as though that was consolation to either of them. Taking back his arm, he sank onto the messy remains of his brother's bed, suddenly looking ten years older. "Codes..."

Bailey's tears had become sobs, and her shoulders were shaking inconsolably. "C-C... he told me to stay inside today... I should have been here, I should have stayed with him!"

"You didn't know what was going on." Zack said, grief and frustration warring in his voice. "It's not your fault. But why didn't he tell _me_?" He flung out an arm and sent Cody's bedside lamp flying against the wall, shattering the bulb with a satisfying tinkle of glass.

The piece of paper that had been pinned under it fluttered to the floor, catching Bailey's attention. "What's this?" She picked it up, and a smile broke through her sobs. "Zack..." she said. "Maybe he _did_."

Zack took the bloodstained piece of paper she pressed into his hands and read the note scrawled on it.

"_Z-  
Went to the forbidden locker in the cargo hold. Meet me there. __Be careful._ _  
-C_"

Zack grinned, the aged, worn look disappearing from his face. "He knew I'd come for him."

Bailey dried her tears on her sleeve. "Like anyone had doubt you'd try." She took the hand he offered her and followed him out of the room.

"Come on!" Zack urged, his focus back now that their own little crisis was (temporarily, at least) over.

"We don't have time! And we have to find Maya!"

They raced along the corridors, down the stairs to the girls' decks, reaching Maya's cabin without further incident. "Maya!" Zack yelled, banging on her door. "Open up! It's me!"

There was silence inside the room.

"Maya?" Bailey twisted the doorknob, but, of course, it was locked. "Are you in there?"

Complete silence.

"MAYA!" Zack yelled, reaching into his back pocket and working his driver's license free of his wallet, sliding it in between the door and its frame. "Come on, baby!" He fumbled with the lock for a long moment before losing his grip on the card. It fell into her room.

Still, there was no movement inside the cabin.

A queasy feeling overtook Bailey's stomach as she watched realization dawn on Zack's face. If Maya was in there, she wasn't alive. "Zack..." she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. There was nothing else she could say.

Zack didn't look at her. "We've spent enough time here." he said in a low voice. "Let's go find Cody."

Bailey's heart broke for Maya, and for Zack, but she acquiesced wordlessly, letting him lead her down, down, into the cargo hold. Here, mercifully, it was harder to hear the screams of the people on higher decks... or perhaps it was just that the screams were beginning to die out.

She'd never been down here before, the cargo hold was off limits to students and passengers, but she wasn't particularly surprised that Zack seemed to know exactly where he was going. He led her through a series of twists and turns. The cargo hold was dark, dank, and creepy, and she could swear she heard the scuttling of rats... but the fact that there was not a porthole in sight made Bailey feel the safest she had all day.

Suddenly Zack took off at a run. Bailey's heart stopped in her chest as she recognized a familiar figure in the corridor up ahead. _Cody._ Weak with relief, she supported herself by leaning against a stack of crates while she watched Zack embrace his brother.

"Codes!" Zack reprimanded. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"God, Zack, you scared me too!" Cody answered, clutching Zack tightly. "Where have you been? Was my note too subtle or something? Did I use too many big words?"

Zack snorted a humorless laugh. "No, we were... We were on a wild goose chase." he said softly.

Bailey's heart sank as she listened to the resignation in Zack's voice. Of course he was talking about Maya.

"'We'?" Cody looked behind Zack and his eyes landed on Bailey. "Bails..." he breathed. "Thank god you're safe."

She flew into his arms. Breakup be damned- she'd thought she'd lost him forever. Just feeling the familiarity of his body against hers made her want to cry with relief. Then she pulled away quickly, not wanting to rub salt in Zack's wound. "You're covered in blood, Cody." she realized with concern, looking him up and down. Most of the blood was black- from the creature he'd fought in his cabin- but an alarming amount of it was red. "Where are you hurt?"

"Most of it's not mine." Cody answered, plucking at the dark-colored bloodstains on his clothes. He opened his left hand and showed them a series of deep gashes on his palm. "I fell on some broken glass, that's all." Bailey gently took his injured hand in hers, but he closed his fist, waving it off as unimportant.

"Sorry it took so long, bro." Zack said. "It took us a while to find the note. Your cabin is a mess. You guys are pigs."

"That's alright." Cody waved him off. He gestured to the large locker behind him, the broken padlock lying on the ground next to a pair of bloody bolt-cutters. "It's not like I didn't have anyone to help me."

"Hey Cody! Are you gonna help me or just make the sick girl do all the work?" A voice cried from within the locker, and Bailey and Zack gaped at the sound. Zack's eyes widened as Maya appeared in the doorway, her fists planted on her hips. She spotted Zack and her face broke into a relieved smile. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

He didn't waste a moment in pulling her into his arms, kissing her deeply.

"Zack! Zack!" Maya yelped, pulling back. "I'm sick, remember?"

"I don't care." Zack murmured into her cheek. "I thought you were dead." He smoothed back her hair with the palm of one hand- she still felt feverish, but definitely better than she'd been ninety seconds ago...

"Oh, Zack..." she whispered sympathetically. "I'm sorry, baby." She pressed her lips to his again. "Cody came and got me before one of those... things could."

Keeping one arm around her, Zack looked to his brother. "Thank you." he said in a low, serious tone.

"Hey." Cody shrugged, trying to make it seem like it was no big deal. "You looked out for Bailey."

The rest of the sentence, '...so I looked out for _your_ girl', was implied.

Tears welled up in Bailey's eyes once again, and she placed one grimy hand on the side of Cody's face and kissed him, somewhat amazed when he kissed back. They'd been apart for so long... and now they were back together, reuniting in the face of something threatening to destroy them all.

It _would_ take a natural disaster of mythical proportions to make them both overcome their stubbornness.

Bailey planted a last quick kiss on his lips. "The monsters." she reminded him. "How did you know?"

"You know I've always been interested in sea monsters." Cody said, reminding her of the time they'd partnered up to try to prove the existence of a sea serpent- Galapagos Gertie- for a science project... and failed.

If Gertie was anything like these nightmares, Bailey was glad she didn't exist!

"The Sargasso Sea is rife with legends of ghost ships, sea serpent attacks, giant cephalopods... Nowadays I try to take all the 'sightings' with a grain of salt." Cody said, looking slightly embarrassed, "But this morning, when I saw the fog that moved without wind... I knew."

"So what are we gonna do?" Zack asked. "It's a bloodbath up there, Codes."

"That's what I asked myself." Cody explained. "But there's never been any record of anyone tangling with something like this and surviving, so I was at a loss... but then I remembered something. This locker."

Zack peered into the dark locker. "Moseby would never even tell me what's in it..."

"Harpoons." Cody, Bailey, and Maya said together.

Maya frowned. "I thought that was common knowledge."

"It is." Cody said. "Moseby just thought it would be better for everyone if Zack didn't know."

"He was probably right." Zack agreed reluctantly. "So how many do we have?"

Maya ducked into the locker and returned with a large harpoon gun in each hand. "Two." she said, handing one to Cody.

"But there's at least two of those things out there." Zack said.

"We saw them." Bailey confirmed.

"So we'll have to make them count." Cody finished. He looked around at his three companions. "...Has anybody ever shot a harpoon gun before?"

The teens all looked at each other, no one wanting the pressure of having to make the single most important shot of their lives. Cody looked at Bailey. "You've got good aim, Bails." he said softly. "Anyone who can get a fly with a dart is sure to hit one of those things."

Bailey paled, but pursed her lips in determination, accepting the weapon Cody handed her.

"I'll take the other one." Zack volunteered finally. "You're not looking so well, Maya, and everyone knows Cody's aim is terrible."

Cody didn't argue, instead turning to Maya. "Then we've got the hard job. Being the bait."

"_What?_" Bailey and Zack chorused. "No!"

"If either of you think I'm letting you do that, you're insane!" Zack cried.

"We have to get the things to surface high enough for you to get the shot." Cody pointed out. "They're not going to do that if there's nothing in it for them."

"Besides, it's not like we won't be armed." Maya said, picking up the bolt cutters and hefting them like a baseball bat. She touched Zack's shoulder. "We'll be careful."

"Still..." Zack said. "I don't like it."

"No one _likes_ it." Cody said. "But we have to do it before we're the only people left! Or before these things bring down the entire ship! Come on."

_*****'*****_

They made their way up out of the cargo hold and through the girls' cabin deck. The corridors were eerily silent- no sounds, no movement. It was almost worse than the screaming.

Maya stayed close to Zack. "Zack...what do they look like?" she whispered softly.

Zack realized that of the four of them, Maya was the only one who hadn't seen one of the monsters directly. With his free hand, he tangled their fingers together. "I don't really know, all we saw were the tentacles." he whispered back. Maya nodded, giving a little shudder, and Zack squeezed her hand. It went against all his instincts to let Maya go out there... to let any of his friends go, but _her_... If he thought there was any other way!

The door to the Sky Deck was gone, simply ripped off its hinges, the thick white fog spilling into the hallway. Cody put out his arms and stopped them. They automatically formed into a kind of huddle as Cody addressed them in a low voice. "All right, guys, this is it. Zack, Bailey, you guys head upstairs as fast as you can. Hopefully these things won't be able to reach you up there, and at least you'll have a better view." He looked at Maya. "Maya, we'll set up a trap in the middle of the Sky Deck... anything we can use as bait."

"What do you mean, any-" Maya began, but Cody cut her off.

"Shh... they'll hear us." he said. He pursed his lips grimly as he decided how to answer her question. "Octopuses are attracted to raw fish." was all he said.

Zack reached across the circle and shook his brother's hand. "Good luck."

"You too." Cody said, gripping his hand tightly. He had just let go when Bailey pulled him into her arms. "You'll do great, Bails." he told her, allowing himself to hold her close for just a moment.

Zack cupped Maya's face and kissed her gently. "Be careful."

She took his head in her hands and deepened the kiss, as if she couldn't bear to let him go. When she finally pulled away, she smiled bravely. "I will if you will."

Bailey released Cody, and her voice shook slightly as she looked at the others. "Are we ready for this?"

"Nope." Zack said. "But let's go." And together the two couples walked into the mist.

The fog had thinned just enough to let them see that the Sky Deck was a scene of absolute carnage- crimson blood slicked the deck, corpses were strewn everywhere. The sight made Maya's already-sick stomach churn up bile. "Oh-!" she half-gasped, half-sobbed, covering her mouth with one hand.

Cody was right there beside her, looking none-too-well himself. "I know..." he murmured under his breath, taking her elbow gently. The fog's strange acoustics made it sound as though his voice were coming from multiple directions at once.

Suddenly Maya realized what he'd meant by his remark about octupuses being attracted by raw fish... These octopuses- if that's what they were- would be attracted by raw_ meat_.

People.

She bit back a scream as she nearly tripped over the body of a man she did not know. He was wearing the white uniform of one of the upper-level crewmen, but his head was crushed beyond recognition, the round bruises on his neck indicative of the strangling force of a suction-cup-covered tentacle. Trying not to look at the gory state of the man's head, she seized him by the ankles, pulling him to the center of the deck as Cody had instructed. She barely managed to keep down her stomach juices as he joined her, dragging a lounge chair laden with assorted dismembered body parts to add to the gruesome pile.

Meanwhile, Zack and Bailey made a break for the staircase, trying to ascend it as quickly and as quietly as possible in the blinding fog. Bailey stepped on a man's hand and slipped, catching herself on the banister with a metallic clang and pausing, frozen with fear. Zack stared back at her, wide-eyed, and it was a long moment before she felt safe enough to move again. Letting out the breath she'd been holding, she took another tentative step upwards.

Out of nowhere, a pair of black tentacles appeared, one lashing itself around the railing, the other around Bailey's waist. "Bailey!" Zack yelled as she cried out in terror. He made a grab for her hand and missed as the thing dragged Bailey backwards down the steps.

"Run!" she yelled at Zack. Her chin hit the stair below her and she bit her tongue hard, blood filling the inside of her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes, but she scrambled to keep her hold on the harpoon gun, determined not to lose it.

"Bailey!" Cody had come running at the sound of the shout, squinting in the mist to find her. Horrified, he watched the thing lift her up into the air, panicking as he looked for a way to save her. After what seemed like days, but was really only seconds, he remembered the fire hose under the stairs. Turning his face away, he used the hammer to break the glass, setting alarm bells whooping wildly over the sound of Bailey's screams. Ignoring the hose itself, he seized the fire ax, scrambling back to where he'd last seen her.

She was putting up a good fight. One arm looped through the metal railing of the stairs, straining to keep her from being pulled to her doom, she used the butt of the harpoon gun to hit the monster, driving the blunt object into its slimy flesh with as much force as she could muster. The thing's grip tightened around her waist just as her eyes met Cody's in the fog. She looked scared, beaten. Blood dripped from one corner of her mouth.

Cody didn't know where he found the strength, but he lifted the heavy ax over his head, slicing straight down on the monster's limb. It split in two, and the monster let out a gurgling wail from somewhere beneath the waves. The half of the tentacle that was wrapped around Bailey squeezed her painfully tight for a moment, then fell, limp, to the deck. Bailey sobbed in relief as Cody grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. "Oh, Cody."

But there was no time for a tearful reunion, as the other tentacle ripped a portion of railing free from the stairs, swinging it at them. Both teens dropped flat on the deck, the twisted metal wreckage sailing inches over their heads.

The monster was roaring now, angry and injured. The waves became rough as it thrashed in the ocean below them, sending seaweed and blood-tinted water splashing over the decks.

"Cody?" Maya yelled from the other side of the deck, unable to locate him in the whiteness. "Where ar-AHH!" A thin green tentacle ensnared her ankle, quickly cutting off the circulation to her foot. It started to pull her, and she fell on her butt, sliding towards the edge of the deck. Then she remembered the bolt cutters in her hands. Yanking them open, she forced them shut on the tentacle, which slithered back over the side of the deck, leaving a trail of black blood. Holding her throbbing ankle, she scooted backwards on her butt, scrambling for the shelter of the smoothie bar. She backed into a warm body and screamed.

The other girl screamed too, and Maya recognized the disheveled young woman as the ship's director of activities, Connie. Connie covered her tearstained face, sobbing with relief when she saw Maya. "Oh, thank god!"

"Shhh!" Maya hissed, pressing herself against the back of the smoothie bar. A black tentacle shot over their heads, smashing into the back of the bar and sending blenders, cups, and fruit flying. The tentacle paused, and then drew back, slowly... slowly...

"It knows we're here..." Connie whimpered in her high-pitched voice.

"Shhhh!" Maya hissed again, beginning to tremble. The tentacle felt along the edge of the bar, as if it were exploring its shape and texture. It was looking for them.

"It knows..." Connie sobbed. "It knows!"

Slowly, the thing began to edge in Connie's direction.

Maya's eyes widened as she felt a pressure in the small of her back- Connie was trying to push her forward! She elbowed the other girl in the ribs, and Connie yelped at the unexpected pain. That was all it took.

The monster pinpointed her location, winding its tentacle around Connie's head like a blindfold, its suction cups making squishing, popping noises against her skin as it looped itself around her neck, her arms. The trapped, terrified girl let out a prolonged, ear-splitting scream.

Maya scrambled backwards, away from Connie, and her hand came down on the handle of the thin knife Zack usually used to slice fruit on the floor behind her. She picked it up, still shaking. Maybe Connie had tried to feed _her_ to the monster, but Maya couldn't do the same. With a deep breath, she drove the knife into the creature's jellylike flesh.

Somewhere in the distance, the monster crowed, a bone-chilling, ethereal screech, and the seawater frothed as it began to rise closer and closer to the surface...

Black blood leaked from the stab wound, but the tentacle didn't withdraw. The thin black tip of the appendage flailed aimlessly for a few seconds, then stopped, twisting around and thrusting itself into Connie's open, shrieking mouth. Her cry became gurgled and muffled as the tentacle fed itself into her mouth and down her esophagus. She choked, spasming as the thing pushed itself into her body, splitting her from the inside. Maya nearly passed out; her vision went blurry as blood began to stream from Connie's nose in a torrent. Finally, the girl's eyes glazed over.

Maya lay on the deck, boneless with horror as the tentacle rose into the air, wearing Connie's lifeless body like some kind of demented sock puppet. Barely able to move, she managed to turn her head just enough to see around the edge of the smoothie bar.

For the first time, she could see what the tentacles were attached to as it rose out of the ocean, writhing menacingly. Its orange eyes were the last thing to make an impression before she lost consciousness altogether.

***'***

From his spot on the upper deck, Zack scanned the whiteness in frustration. The shifting, swirling mist meant he could see very little of what was going on below, and the screams and shouts of his brother and the girls were nearly driving him wild with panic. How the hell was he supposed to shoot this thing when he couldn't even see it?

And then, suddenly, he could.

The first thing he saw were the eyes. They were orange, an evil, glowing orange. Its pupils, though, were the unnerving thing- they were rectangular instead of circular, and oriented horizontally. The eyes were about three feet apart, staring through the mist like the headlights of an oncoming car on a foggy night.

The thing rose up even further, and the outline of its body became visible, a round, bulbous head the size of an SUV, seamlessly connected to a network of twisting, writhing black tentacles. Cody had been right- the creature looked, for all intents and purposes, like a black, monstrous octopus. A black, monstrous, _pissed-off_ octopus. He couldn't figure out how something so massive was just floating there on the surface, like some kind of hideous beach ball.

The thing whipped one of its tentacles towards him, and Zack jumped backwards, watching as it snared the railing just feet from his face. The giant, menacing head drew closer, and Zack realized it wasn't just floating. It was climbing.

"Zack!" Cody yelled from somewhere below.

"Cody!" Zack yelled back, not taking his eyes off the monster. "Where do I shoot this thing? The heart?" It was so huge that somehow, the harpoon gun didn't seem like enough. When something was that big, it just kept on coming. "If so, _where's the heart?_" The way the thing was looking at him actually made him wonder if the monster could understand him.

"Octopuses have three hearts!" Cody cried back. "That's no good!"

Two more tentacles wrapped around nearby poles. The thing was advancing on him. Zack didn't know how, but it knew that he was the one with a gun. Somehow it knew. "THEN WHERE?" he bellowed.

"_Between the eyes!_" Cody screamed back.

"Is that your final answer?" Zack cried, already taking aim. By the time Cody had shouted 'yes,' his finger had tightened on the trigger. The harpoon fired, piercing its target directly between the eyes.

The monster screamed again, but this time the scream was different, violent and futile. It reared back, exposing its gaping, beaklike mouth, and Zack recoiled backward at the sickening stench of blood and decay issuing from it. The bleeding, mutilated tentacles flailed as it fell backward, dropping into the ocean and sending a tidal wave of saltwater washing over the lower half of the deck. Slowly, the monster sank. Its orange eyes faded to a dull red as it sank lower and lower, its limp tentacles becoming indistinguishable from the tangles of Sargasso seaweed.

It became very quiet.

Zack stood still for a long moment. Was it really over? Was the thing truly dead? He gripped the railing in front of him, not daring to believe it.

"Zack!" Cody screamed from below. "_Zack!_"

At the sound of his brother's voice, Zack started, racing down the stairs though the already-clearing fog. "Codes?"

Cody was standing under the stairs, his arm around Bailey, who was still clutching the harpoon gun. His face broke into a smile as he saw his brother. "You did it!" he said, grabbing Zack in a hug. "Oh, man... I thought..."

"You okay?" Zack asked, hugging him back. "And we all did it." He released his brother and grabbed Bailey in a half-hug too. "You scared me there, Pickett." he confessed. "I was pretty sure you were gonna be seafood." Somehow, it felt okay to joke about it now; he was just so relieved.

"Me too." she said ruefully, rubbing her bruised waist where the creature had seized her. "I would have been, too, if not for Cody." She moved back into Cody's arms and they clung together, still drawing strength from each other in light of all that had just happened.

At that point, a pang of cold fear struck Zack's heart. "Where's Maya?"

Behind the smoothie bar, she stirred. "Zack?"

He was by her side in an instant. "I'm here, Maya. Are you hurt?" He grasped her hand and helped her sit up, and she rested against him, holding one hand to her head as tears leaked from her eyes.

"I'm not hurt." she managed to say. "But... I just... what I saw..." She couldn't bring herself to tell him about Connie, instead burying her head in his chest.

He rubbed her back. "I know, baby."

She began regaining her composure slowly. "I... I must have passed out." she said sheepishly. "Did... did you do it? Did you kill them both?"

Zack's blood turned to ice water.

Bailey screamed.

A pair of thin green tentacles had just whipped onto the deck directly in front of Bailey and Cody, winding around the bars of the railings, and a second monster hoisted itself onto the Sky Deck. While still huge for any common variety of octopus, this one was much smaller than the first one- flat on the deck, it was slightly shorter than Cody. Its long, vinelike tentacles swept over the deck in an whimsical, exploratory fashion, causing the pair to jump back and out of the way. It whined pitifully.

Bailey raised her free hand to her mouth. "Its a baby." she gasped. "We just killed its mother."

"You're right..." Cody realized, staring at it with trepidation. "What do we do?"

"_What do we do?_" Zack exploded from behind the smoothie bar, his arm still curled around Maya protectively. "You shoot it! That's what you do!"

"But..." Cody looked at the thing guiltily. "Maybe it's..."

"It's not friendly, it tried to kill us!" Zack reminded them. "And need I remind you, that it will someday _become _an adult... one of those things, if you don't shoot it now! Bailey!"

The baby stared at them balefully through orange, horizontally-slitted eyes. Then it struck out without warning, wrapping a tentacle around each of them at the knees.

Instantly, Bailey brought up the harpoon gun and squeezed the trigger, hitting it right between the eyes, just as Zack had done. Unlike the first one, the creature didn't go into its death throes. Instead, its tentacles weakly unraveled from the railing- and from its captives,- and it simply fell into the ocean to join its mother. "Huh." Bailey said. "Zack was right."

"'Course I was." Zack said, as he and Maya joined Bailey and Cody at the railing, watching the little monster's corpse sink into oblivion. By now, the fog had nearly completely cleared, and the sun shone down on the bloodstained floorboards of the Sky Deck. "Whatever those things were, they were clearly evil."

"Yeah..." Maya agreed, shuddering as she remembered all that she had witnessed. Zack's arm tightened around her, and she gave him a little smile.

Bailey pushed herself away from the railing, willfully not looking at the carnage still littering the Sky Deck. "I guess we should go see who else is... I mean... who else..." Somehow, the sun made it seem like what had just happened _couldn't_ have just happened, that none of it was real. But the teens knew that very soon they'd have to face the cold reality of the situation. London, Woody, Tutweiller, Moseby... their friends, their surrogate family... Who knew what had become of them?

"Yeah." Cody said, taking her hand.

Maya lingered by the railing as the others made to walk away. "Cody?" she asked suddenly. "If there was a mother monster, and a baby monster... doesn't that mean there has to be a father, too?"

Cody paused. Back when he'd thought himself the expert on sea monsters, nobody had believed a word he'd said. But now that everything he thought he'd known had changed... _now_ they wanted his opinions. The worst of it was that, in truth, he'd been thinking the same thing as Maya... or rather, trying _not _to think about it. Zack and Bailey were watching him now too, waiting for his answer, fear haunting their eyes. "Not... necessarily." he said finally. "No. _No._"

If anyone didn't believe him, they didn't say a word.

*****'*****

_**A/N: **__Inspired partially by Stephen King's "The Mist." The Sargasso Sea is real, some of the science is real... most of it isn't. _

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	10. BlendedMinds

**The Witch's Curse**

by Blendedminds

*****'*****

Maddie sat on the deck of the S.S. Tipton and gazed at the picture she held in her hand. The horrors of the last few weeks playing back each gruesome scene, like a slide show without end.

When her uncle's letter came in the mail asking for a visit from his favorite niece, she had jumped at the chance to get away from her screaming siblings, and constantly arguing parents. Never in a million years would she have thought of the terror that would greet her upon her arrival.

It had been a beautiful autumn day in mid October when she first set foot in front of the great Iron Gate. Which from a distance seemed to overpower even the mansion it protected, as she stood directly under its rods and showed no sign of the fear she felt except for a small intake of breath.

The house seemed to hold a feeling of doom. A warning that echoed into the wind penetrating your ears with the sound of foreboding, 'Stay Away' it whispered.

Maddie could not keep the shivers that ran up and down her skin at bay. The creak of the ancient iron made an eerie sound as it broke the silence in the mid afternoon light. Each step she took down the unpaved path lead her closer to the monster she now wished she could run away from, and the overwhelming feeling of being watched.

For the first time in her life Maddie wished that she had her family with her. All her life she had wanted to get away from the prying eyes of her younger siblings and now, she wouldn't have minded hearing their adolescent remarks and their childlike giggles.

As she stopped in front of the wooden door, she pulled up the knocker hanging with the face of a demon, seemingly daring anyone to come closer. The boisterous boom of an unwelcome guest echoed into the dark hallways of the once great building.

The door opened slowly and she called in.

"Hello is anyone here?" No answer greeted her. "Hello is someone home?"

Still only silence was her answer. She would have thought maybe she was alone if it wasn't for that nagging suspicion that stayed with her. The floorboards disputed her every step as an unseen pair of eyes followed her like a shadow.

Looking around, it seemed like the house hadn't been lived in, in years. The strong smell of rotten wood and molding furniture scented the air around her, as her stomach threatened to relieve itself of the brief lunch she had enjoyed on the trip here.

Maddie heard a sound and was still, frozen in place, unable to stop the cold shivering sensation that coursed through her veins. The eyes that followed her when she first approached this horrible place stayed with her.

'I should leave?' she thought, but her resolve would not let her turn away. Besides if there was something so bad in residence here, her uncle would not have called for her. Maddie tried desperately to believe her own thoughts, and not let her imagination escape her.

Slowly she regained the use of her limbs, looking up toward the main staircase that led to the second floor. She began to climb. But, as she made her way up the winding staircase she noticed the portraits on the walls.

With each step she felt as if the eyes of the people in the portraits long since dead followed her with an absolute warning. Later she would come to wish she had heeded all the warnings given to her.

"Death comes to those who dwell here." Yet, again Maddie froze.

The room fell deathly silent, as silent as an undisturbed grave. A chill filled the air as an unseen presence entered the hall. She felt anger, resentment and an indescribable sense of fear.

She couldn't move as she stared into the empty space of the phantom standing a few feet from her. A cold chill sent waves of shock flowing through her and she felt as if she were already lying in her final resting place.

At that moment a whispered name violated the silence in the small quarters. Her name spoken with the tongue of a hollow breath and fear swept into her very being.

"Stay Away!" and with that final statement the phantom was gone. She could not sense its presence anymore and she was glad for it. For just as it had appeared with fast precision, it disappeared as if it were never there.

As she was about to flee, she turned and came face to face with an oil painting on the wall. The likeness mesmerized her and entranced her in its magic. It was a picture of herself only it seemed different somehow.

She viewed the same image when she looked into a mirror, yet it was almost as if she were looking at a stranger. A cold wind entered the hall wrapping itself around her making her shiver. As she turned to investigate its source she wasn't surprised to realize she was in a windowless corridor, there was no possible way a draft could be seeping in.

Then panic set in as she gazed into the picture once more and felt herself being pulled toward it by two unseen pair of hands. In her frightened state she didn't think to scream or call out for help, as her mind froze in shock and confusion.

The world around her faded into night, and when she was able to see clearly once again, she opened her eyes to a chilling sight. Looking out through the portrait she stared at her double staring back with a sinister grin etched across her face.

"What? How? This is impossible!" Maddie thought frantically. "I'm not in my body! I'm in the painting! But then who's in my body?"

Fear set in as the portrait was covered and Maddie's world turned black.

***'***

After Carey had gotten the call from Mrs. Fitzpatrick as to Maddie's disappearance, she immediately notified her sons. Zack was sitting at his laptop looking up the latest pictures on Megan Fox, when he noticed his e-mail alert flash in the corner of his screen. Minimizing the screen he sighed in annoyance, as he then clicked on the message from his mother.

He instantly became alert as her words seeped into his consciousness. "Maddie is missing?" He grabbed his cell and hit the speed dial.

"Zack this better be important Bailey and I are trying to study for that physics test tomorrow..." Cody told his brother.

"Maddie's missing?" Zack bellowed before his brother could say another word.

"Zack, I'm hanging up." Cody told him a second before he heard a dial tone.

Zack instantly redialed and waited.

"What?" Cody exclaimed.

"Check your e-mail?" Zack told him becoming impatient with his twin.

"Okay, I'll play along, but if this is some kind of trick I am going….Oh, My God! Maddie's missing!" Cody shouted into the phone. "But how? Have you answered mom's e-mail?"

Cody finished as he entered the room with Bailey and London in tow. Closing his cell phone he sat down on the edge of one of the beds as Zack continued to type in a message to their mom.

"I am sending one now asking for more info." Zack replied as he watched the girls take their seats in the room. Not even a minute passed when another alert appeared.

"She went to go visit an uncle that lives in Oceanport." Zack said looking puzzled. "Where the heck is that?"

"Ireland!" Bailey and Cody both shimmed in.

"It's a small town 3.4 miles near the east coast of Ireland, to be exact." Cody added.

London and Bailey both rolled their eyes in Cody's direction, as Zack read the rest of the message.

"It looks like she left a little over three weeks ago and no one's heard from her since." Zack read as a fear began to form in the pit of his stomach. "Mom knows we're going to be near there soon so she wants us to take a look."

"Well then that's what we're going to do." Cody determined.

***'***

A few days later the group arrived at the Mansion and was surprised when the driver refused to stop near the gate.

"God my feet are killing me." London complained. "Tell me why we were let out at the bottom of the hill, and not in front of the mansion?"

"I don't know, but the man seemed really jittery." Bailey replied to her comment." Almost like this place spooked him."

"It's a building, what could be so scary?" London told her.

As the four friends rounded a clearing they were finally able to see the building up close. A chill reached them as they looked up at the mansion and the gate that protected it.

"Does anyone else feel like they have just stepped into a time loop?" Bailey whispered in a far away tone.

"That's not what's bothering me." Cody told the group. "Does anyone else feel like their being watched?"

The four friends looked up toward the house as the same feelings Maddie had experienced resonated among them.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Zack asked his twin, hoping maybe there had been a mix-up.

"As far as I know this is the only place for miles around." Cody told him.

"Okay this is what we do." Zack emphasized pulling London away from the gate and toward his brother. "You three stay here while I go check this place out."

"Are you crazy, ever heard the term there's safety in numbers." Cody told his brother. "Whatever we do, we do it together."

"Alright but stay close, I don't like what I am feeling." Zack expressed. "I honestly hope Maddie isn't in there."

The four opened the Iron Gate and it resounded with a loud screech. As they made their way to the house they found themselves walking as a unit as if something terrible would happen if they separated even an inch.

When they finally reached the door the face on the knocker, seemed to fit the feelings surrounding them. A warning stood out in their mind, but they refused to listen to its call.

Picking up the heavy metal hanger Zack slowly banged it against the door, and could hear it echo within the rooms beyond.

"Okay does anyone else feel like we should be making a run for it?" London told the others.

"Don't worry so much," Bailey told the heiress squeezing her hand a bit tighter. "Like Zack said we'll be fine if we stay together."

Again Zack picked up the knocker and for the second time let it fall against the wood with a hard thud. But this time the door opened slowly as the kids took a wiry step back.

"Okay, that's slightly creepy." Cody observed.

"I think so too." Bailey agreed.

"Zack maybe we should head back and call a policeman to come and take a look around." He told his brother.

Just as Zack was about to agree the door flew open revealing a thin framed blond girl standing at the bottom of the staircase directly in front of the entrance.

"Maddie!" They all called in unison and rushed over to greet their friend.

***'***

The phantom and his companion stood high above the room watching and listening waiting to see what the witch would do next.

"She's getting stronger." The phantom stated. "One more soul and she will be free forever."

"We can't let that happen, we can't let her win."

"We won't be able to stop her." The phantom replied.

"That girl in the portrait…?"

"She's my niece." He stated. "And one of your decedents."

"Which makes her a thousand times more powerful while she still possesses that young girl's body? The blood that flowed while we were living flows through it. We must find a way to stop her and soon."

***'***

"Where have you been?" Zack cried. "Everyone's been worried sick."

"I've been here," the witch said simply.

"Okay, but why haven't you called to at least let us know your okay." London asked her.

"Yeah, Maddie you could've e-mailed." Cody supplied. "We're your friends and we happen to care about you."

"Isn't that a little odd?" The witch said. "I never asked you too."

A hush fell over the group as they processed what Maddie had just said.

"Maddie?" Zack asked a little bemused as he walked over to her. "Are you alright?"

"Of course why do you ask?" The witch said as Zack immediately realized something wasn't quite right.

A slight fear entered his eyes and a crazy thought appeared. This wasn't his Maddie.

"Is something wrong?" He heard her say.

"No everything is fine." He lied but his instincts were doing over time.

He needed to make sure that his thoughts weren't deceiving him. So Zack stood in the background and waited observing Maddie's mannerisms as his brother and the girls continued their questioning.

The witch seemed to sense that he suspected something, for she kept peering over at him as he studied her. Instantly she took a dislike to him, and he could feel it.

If the saying was true and the eyes were in fact the windows to the soul. Then Zack Martin had a bird's eye view, and he knew in his heart that something terrible had happened to his lost love, for she wasn't the one standing in front of them right now.

"This is an interesting place, do we get a tour?" Zack asked looking directly into her eyes and interrupting the shopping story London was currently enthralled in telling.

"There's not much too it." The witch responded.

"It's pretty big to not be much. From outside it looks to be the size of a small mountain." Zack replied with a challenge, daring her to come up with a passable excuse as to why she was denying the walk through.

"I think that would be a great idea." The witch replied clear she was up to locking horns with the young man. "Shall we begin?"

***'***

"The boy is in love with her." The phantom said. "And more importantly he knows she's not who she claims to be."

"This will be beneficial in convincing him to help us in our quest to destroy Griselda. Once and for all." She replied and looked on in interest as the small group continued their journey through the house.

"She's leading them upstairs past the portraits." he said. "Do you think he will suspect?"

As they watched the blond boy stopped and pulled back the cloth that covered one of the portraits on the wall. He leaned in just slightly and reviewed the picture of Maddie, Griselda quickly walked over and returned the dark cloth to its original state making the group look on in surprise.

"Shall we continue?" They heard her say. "We have a lot more ground to cover."

They watched as the boy stayed behind, and took one last backwards glance at the picture. The phantom took control and with one swift motion of his hand the black cloth mysteriously fell to the floor, uncovering its view from him.

They watched as Zack looked around warily and cautiously tip toed toward it. The boy ran his hands over it, as he examined it closer. Something about it had him transfixed and the phantom and his companion smiled.

"He'll help us." The phantom told her confidentially.

"I hope so, because we can't afford any mistakes," She replied with urgency. "This is our last chance and we have to make it count."

***'***

Zack stood directly in front of the painting of Maddie and couldn't believe how life like it seemed. He found himself running his hand over the smooth canvas just to make sure it was indeed a picture. Memorized by her eyes and how sad they were he almost wished he could reach in and pull her from this state of bondage.

But in the next moment he felt himself being propelled through the air and slammed into the hard wall behind him.

"Zack!" Cody called from behind her, and then ran to his brother's aid with the girls following close behind.

"What the hell are you?" Cody asked angrily as he helped Zack up off the floor. "And where's Maddie?"

Griselda didn't feel the need to answer but instead simply raised her hands above her head and began to chant what appeared to be some sort of spell.

In the next moment a large crash was heard as a cabinet fell to the floor in front of her and it became engulfed in a blue flame, startling her long enough for the kids to try and make a mad dash for the front door.

The witch immediately looked up toward her sister and knew she was behind the disruption. With a very sinister gleam in her eyes she grinned. "I'll take care of you later." She promised and turned her concentration to the object in front of her.

As they ran down the steps two at a time Zack remained behind.

"Zack what are you doing?" London called making Cody stop and look up toward his brother.

"I think Maddie is in that picture." Zack told them while they eyed him in disbelief.

"Forget about that now, let's get the hell out of here, we'll bring help back later."

"No!" Zack shouted. "Not without Maddie, and by then it may be too late."

Cody exchanged a terrified look with his brother and turned toward Bailey. "Bailes I need you to take London with you back to the ship and get us some help."

"Wait what about you and Zack?" Bailey told him. "I can't leave you here."

They heard a small explosion and knew the witch was on her way. Cody turned back to Bailey and again pleaded with her to take London and leave.

"I won't leave Zack, and I know my brother. He is determined to find Maddie." Cody exclaimed as he gently began to push them toward the front door. "I need you to go now, bring back help it's the only way."

"Guys hurry, she heading this way." Zack shouted to them as he run down the stairs and literally pushed the two girls out of the room and too safety.

Running over to where his brother was standing he grabbed his arm and jerked him forward as they made a mad dash in the opposite direction.

"Zack I hope you know what you're doing." Cody hollered as they ran through yet another door.

"Little brother, I do too." Zack shouted answering his twin.

***'***

As the witch approached them the rooms came alive with small explosions and the sound of crashing items. The destruction she left in her wake sounded like it could be one for the record books, the boys didn't dare look back terrified that their assumption was correct."

Zack and Cody finally ended up in a storage room with no forms of an alternate escape route.

Panting and exhausted from the excursion, they still managed to block the door with old furniture and heavy boxes that lined the room.

"Okay so what do we do now Sherlock?" Cody told his brother. "Those things aren't going to keep her out forever."

"I've never dealt with a powerful witch before give me a minute to think." Zack uttered while his heart rate finally calmed down and his breathing stabilized.

"Maybe I could help?" said a shallow voice in the confined space. "After all I have dealt with a few witches in my time, including that one."

Zack instantly pulled Cody behind him and faced the shadowy figure standing before them. Although he felt no immediate threat from this apparition he didn't want to take any chances, and so he tightened his grip on his brother.

"Don't worry I won't hurt either one of you," She whispered, as a blue light began to frame the room around them keeping her sister out.

"What is that?" Cody looked around still sheltered by his brother. "That's the same glow that came out of that cabinet that fell."

The boys looked toward it as the blue glow danced around like a flame.

"It won't harm you," She explained. "It's a special orb that will help keep all that is evil out."

"Who are you?" Zack asked.

"My name was Gwendolyn, but everyone called me Gwen."

She smiled and pointed over too an old portrait in the corner. The boys gaze followed her finger and Cody stepped around his brother and walked over to where the object was placed.

"Who's the girl in the portrait?" Cody asked her causing Zack to walk over for a peek.

"The girl in the painting was me." The shadowy figure said. "Pick up the smaller picture next to it."

Cody did as he was told; removing the covering they looked at the picture and smiled.

"You're a twin." They said in unison. "But where is your sister?" Cody added.

"You just met her." She replied. "She's the witch you're running away from."

***'***

"Mr. Moseby!" The girls both shouted as they returned to the boat and collided with the cruise director.

Moseby jumped at the sudden intrusion and then rolled his eyes when he realized who it was. Stepping behind the check in desk he proceeded to finish his paperwork, so he could make it to his dinner date with Ms. Tutwiler on time.

"Girls is this important?" he asked of them. "I am rather busy."

"It's about Zack and Cody." Bailey took a deep breath and then continued. "They're in trouble."

"When aren't they?" Moseby sighed loudly tired of their usual hy-jinks. "What have they done now?"

"Moseby listen!" London cried. "They haven't done anything."

"Anything constructive." Moseby huffed.

"You don't understand, they're not the only ones?" Bailey said. "Something really bad has happened to Maddie."

"I'm all ears." Moseby stated concerned. "Start from the beginning."

The girls then began to fill Moseby in on the events beginning with the e-mail from Carey and ending with coming to find help. Suddenly the older man began to snicker.

"Oh, you're good." Moseby told them. "You almost had me going for a minute."

Mr. Moseby grabbed his clipboard and began to leave. But not before London stepped in front of him.

"We can prove it." London told him and ran over to his laptop.

Within a minute London had opened up Zack's e-mail account. Turning the laptop in Moseby's direction she placed the screen so he could read it.

"Now do you believe us?" The girl's said in unison.

"Griselda or Zelda is my twin sister. We were both born into great power since we come from a long lineage of warlocks and witches," she began. "We were very close growing up, inseparable in fact. But she always had a mean streak and over the years it turned into something sinister."

"What happened?" Cody asked sitting down beside his twin on one of the old chairs. "How did she become like that?"

"Zelda has always been her own person, she hated authority and so over time she learned to resent the rules set forth." Gwen told them. "They held her back and she didn't like that."

"So she turned evil because she didn't like the rules." Zack stated. "No offense but I don't buy that."

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked him.

"I don't believe people are born evil, something else must have happened in order to change her. And you can't convince me it has anything to do with not wanting to follow a set of rules." Zack said. "If that were the case, I would have changed a long time ago."

"What if I told you, I think you are wrong?" Gwen asked the older boy. "What if I said I do believe people are born to be a certain way? That it's predestined or predetermined and there's nothing anyone can say or do to change that."

"But if that were true, then how come you weren't born the same way?" Cody theorized. "Why her and not you?"

"I don't know, and I have had a long time to think about it." Gwen told them. "But now is not the time to rationalize these thoughts. I need your help."

"What kind of help?" Zack questioned leery of the answer just as a loud bang was heard just outside the door.

The boys immediately stood up and faced the doorway. Another loud bang and then a crash sounded. Zack and Cody returned their gaze back to Gwen.

"What do we do?" Cody asked her. "How do we get the hell out of here without becoming road kill?"

"Don't worry the spell I cast to protect us should remain strong." Gwen explained. "At least for now."

"For now?" The twins replied in unison.

"Well that's comforting." Zack added raising his hands in frustration.

"Zelda has a portrait of herself hidden in an upstairs room." Gwen began.

"If it's hidden then how do we find it?"Cody asked her.

"I will help you, but first you must find a long thin paintbrush. This is the key that will unlock the door."

"There's something missing." Zack stated. "What is so important about a really old painting of a wicked witch?"

"When we were young I was awakened by screaming." Gwen stated as a picture began to form in the mist. "Alarmed, I looked over to Zelda and found her bed empty."

As the boys watched the scene unfold in front of them a young girl around their age appeared. Frightened and confused she looked over toward the bed beside hers and called out her sister's name. No response came and soon she realized Zelda was not in the room.

Gwen ran down the staircase and looked on in horror as her sister had their parents trapped against the wall. Bolt electricity coursing through her hands and onto the two people trapped in its destruction. In the next moment a scream escaped her throat as the two figures fell and slumped over onto the cold floor beneath them.

"What have you done?" Gwen cried as she rushed over to the two shapes lying lost to the world. "You killed them!"

"Yes I did." Zelda's voice was without feeling as she answered her sister.

Zelda stood over her and watched with interest as she tried to help their parents. Finally Gwen had given up; angry and betrayed she stood up to face her older sibling.

"Why?" Gwen shouted a blue glow shining around her. "Why would you do this?"

"Because I wanted to, they were useless and in my way." Zelda answered to the tear stricken girl. "Just like you are now."

Gwen instinctively took a step back. "What do you mean?" She asked still backing away until she was pinned against the same wall her parents had been a few minutes before.

Zelda smiled and raised her hands, "How comical, I thought you would at least make me chase you." With that lightning bolts sped out of her hands and hit the wall above Gwen's head. As just in time she ducked beneath them.

Gwen rushed out of the room and down the hall into the basement where they kept their spell books. After barricading the entrance behind her, she tore through it in the hopes of finding the spell she was looking for.

She dashed over to the portrait her parents had handing on the wall, and immediately pulled Zelda's down and placed it facing the doorway. Praying to herself, she made ready to face the oncoming threat.

When the door flew open and Zelda walked in, she abruptly stopped and glanced at her portrait then at her sister. With an air of understanding she picked up her hands and prepared to attack.

But at the same moment, Gwen repeated the spell she had read a few minutes before.

"You'll hurt no one more, this I say. Into the portrait, like Dorian Gray"

The room spun around as if by a terrible storm. Wind increased and Zelda was picked up off the floor and transported into her painting.

Gwen slumped down into her a seat and slammed the book shut in front of her as a tear slipped down her cheek.

The boys sat captivated by what they had just witnessed, and a silent understanding past between them.

"The only way for Zelda to survive outside of her painting is to transfer souls." Gwen explained.

"Excuse me?" Cody stated dumbfounded. "That's impossible."

"Not for a powerful witch, I put a curse on the painting forcing Zelda into it." She told them. "But I hadn't yet put a spell block on it to keep her from countering it."

"Meaning?" Cody told her. "What exactly are you saying?"

"She revamped the spell so that she would be able to be set free." She explained to the two confused teenagers. "When your friend's uncle bought this house she was able to escape by forcing him into the portrait, but was unable to keep him there because he was not the person on the canvas, so he became a phantom since he had nowhere to go."

"So what do we do?" Zack asked her standing up. "And how do we get Maddie out of the portrait?"

"There is only one way. You have to find her original painting." She explained. "Then entrap her into it long enough to destroy it."

"And how do we do that?" Cody inquired unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice. "And how do we know we will be safe?"

"Leave that to me." She stated. "We will only have a small window in which this can work, before she figures out how to counteract the curse."

"Of course we do," Zack interrupted sarcastically, earning a playful elbow jab to the stomach, from his brother.

"I know this is a lot to ask, but it's the only way to help your friend and free those trapped within these walls." Gwen stated.

"Alright, we'll help you." Zack replied warily. "How do we get her off our backs, long enough to search the house?"

Gwen snapped her fingers and said a few words. In an instant they found themselves beside another portrait. Only this one made the boys cringe as they eyed the skeleton in the painting.

***'***

The phantom watched as the blue protective orb disappeared and Zelda was finally able to force herself into the small room. Immediately he heard a frustrated series of curses as he watched her walk back into the hall and rush up the stairs.

"Gwen!" She shouted. "You can't protect them forever. Do you hear me?"

The phantom watched her storm by him and he could feel the hate and anger radiating from her. The atmosphere in the room became dense and he could not only feel but see her energy. Yet just as the hate was apparent, so was the desperation, if she didn't win this round she would lose the war and he could tell she wasn't ready for that.

"I know what you're trying to do. It's the same as each time before. You didn't win then and you won't win now. Do you hear me?" She called out, the words echoing down the halls of the corridors as she passed.

He found himself praying for the tables to turn and the curse to be broken. Unfortunately he also found himself wondering if that would ever really happen.

***'***

As Gwen explained what needed to be done the twins still felt like they were missing something, and Gwen wasn't being completely honest.

"Who is that portrait of?" Zack asked her.

"That portrait represents what has happened to all the souls that she trapped," Gwen lowered her voice before she added. "It is a portrait of what will happen to your friend if we don't free her in time."

"But I don't understand," Cody asked her. "If the portraits only have skeletons left in them, then how are the souls still trapped?"

"Just like in life you can't always see the soul, but you can feel its presence. If you really pay attention you can hear their anguished cries within these portraits."

"I can't let that happen," Zack stated. "I won't."

"Of course we won't, this is Maddie we're talking about," Cody added placing a hand on his shoulder. "How do we find this paintbrush?"

"The paintbrush is hidden in plain sight," she replied confusing them.

"What do you mean?"

"The seeker shall find the object for which he searches in plain sight of the portrait he wishes to unlock."

"Yeah that makes a lot of sense," Zack stated sarcastically raising an eyebrow.

"Wait, the portrait we wish to unlock…" Cody added looking over toward the portrait of the skeleton.

"That's what she said," Zack replied trying to figure out what his brother was getting at.

"Plain sight…if the paintbrush is in plain sight, wouldn't the portrait be as well?"

"Of course."

"So then wouldn't the picture be handing in the hall with all the other portraits?" Cody asked.

"I don't know," Gwen replied.

"You don't know?" Zack asked. "You've been in this house for God knows how long, watching her, and you don't know where she would have hidden the portrait?"

"She hid it with magic, so I can't find it," she stated.

"And you can't use another spell to reveal where she's hidden it?"

"Zack come on, lay off," Cody quietly stated.

"I'm not accusing you of anything," Zack replied gazing back at her. "But it would make sense that you would be able to find it better than anyone else could."

"I've tried every spell I know of," she replied. "She's got it very well hidden."

"I still say our best bet is the pictures on the wall," the younger twin told them.

"Okay we need to find a way to examine those."

"And how do you propose we do that," Zack asked his little brother.

Cody turned to Gwen with a smile and asked her if she had any ideas. Swaying toward an old leather bound book in the corner she took the lead and they followed. Blowing off the dust they read it only to realize this was the same book that Gwen had combed thru when she had first put the curse on her twin.

The twins searched thru it at her insistence and stopped when she put up her finger for them to do so. The words _A Split Image_ was written in red as the title of the spell. Taking her arms and raising them she began to say the words and the twins could feel an undeniable force take over.

_Take this image that I see, place her now in front of me._

Suddenly another shadow emerged and one that looked surprisingly like Gwen. The only logical explanation would be that this was Zelda, but this image didn't hold anything sinister and therefore didn't give them the feeling of dread that the witch did. When Gwen had finished giving her instructions the shadow disappeared and left the boys in shock.

"Do you think that will work?"

"For a short while, yes," Gwen replied. "But, I suggest we don't press our luck."

A few minutes had gone by until the boys finally felt safe enough to leave the room. Making their way toward the hall with all the portraits they were still questioning a lot of what she had told them. It felt strange to look into these portraits, their eyes boring into them now, almost pleading with them for help. They guessed they couldn't see it before since they didn't know the complete truth of what these portraits were, prisons.

Zack stayed again staring transfixed into the eyes of his true love. From the first moment he had laid eyes on her she captured his heart. And now that same heart was breaking. Although he couldn't hear a sound, he knew deep down that she was crying out to him. He placed a hand once again against that canvas and slowly caressed the cheek of the girl in the painting.

His love for her, was a love that was difficult to explain with words. All he knew was that his heart and soul answered her call. And he wasn't about to ignore it. He wanted _his_ Maddie back, and come hell or high water, he was going to make that happen.

"Hang on, Sweet Thang…I'll get you out," he whispered, and for a moment he almost thought he saw a smile cross those beautiful lips of hers.

***'***

"London, that's enough," he replied taking another sip of coffee. "I'm doing the best I can."

"Well your best isn't good enough," she pouted and took a seat on one of the lounge chairs.

They had been back now for a couple of hours waiting to hear from Mr. Tipton as too what he could do to help Maddie and the twins. When London had first talked to him, he merely stated he had other, more important things to do than to encourage her in her games. But when she forwarded the email and heard his daughter pleading for the lives of the only true friends she'd ever had, he instantly relented.

Now they all sat still waiting for word as to what he had decided to do. Mr. Moseby put down his mug frustrated. He hated the fact that he was powerless to help and had to remain calm for everyone's sake. When underneath he was beside himself with worry for the twins he had come to see as sons and the girl who had become like a daughter. Still ever the voice of reason, he continued his façade, if only to keep from screaming.

"This is a very difficult situation," he calmly stated while straightening his tie. "And one that isn't easily believable."

"Moseby I know you, remember," the heiress replied walking up and gently brushing his hand away so she could straighten his tie. "You're just as nervous and afraid as we are. And you want to go down there and do something, just as badly as we do."

"You're right, this waiting is miserable."

"I know, you're vanes are popping out," she smiled in spite of the situation.

"Guys!" Bailey shouted running in with a paper in her hand. "I think I have an idea."

"What is it?" they replied in unison.

"I know a way to not only destroy the witch but the mansion she dwells in."

"Well there's something you don't hear every day," Moseby snickered.

"I'll fill you in on the way, but we have to go now."

With that said the three left the ship and made their way back to the mansion, praying that they would get there in time and no harm would come to their friends.

***'***

"You know what Zack," Cody whispered pulling his brother over to a corner so that they wouldn't be overheard. "I've been thinking about what Gwen said."

"Which part?"

"The part about the seeker," he replied. "She said, the seeker shall find the object for which he searches in plain sight of the portrait he wishes to unlock."

"Okay, and?" the older twin stated.

"Well what if Zelda's portrait isn't the one we wish to unlock?"

"Could you speak English please, and get to the point."

"Think about it Zack, which portrait _do you really_ want to unlock_,_" he stated emphasizing the last word with air quotation marks.

Zack looked over to the portrait of Maddie with sadness. Cody understanding how his brother felt placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. "Exactly, I have a feeling that she wants us to open up Zelda's portrait for a reason and it's not the one she's given us."

"So what do you think is really going on?"

"I'm not completely sure," he replied looking over toward Gwen. "But I think we need to be very careful about what we do next."

"You two are awfully quiet," she asked gliding over toward them, something they just couldn't get used too. "Have you figured it out?"

"Figured _it_ out?" Cody asked.

"Yes, the portrait and the paintbrush."

"Oh, no not yet," the younger boy replied as his twin nodded in agreement.

Gwen looked from one to the other with a worried expression on her face. She knew they weren't being honest with her, and once more they knew she knew. But she was going to play along as if nothing had changed, and continue to search for the paintbrush which was the key to solving all their troubles.

***'***

The phantom waited, and looked on with concern. Something wasn't right, and he knew it. He watched as Gwen continued to lead Zelda in several directions. She wouldn't interact with her sister and she wouldn't look up at him. Something about her was off and he tried his best to figure out the puzzle but kept running into a brick wall.

That is until something hit him. The twins weren't with her. She wasn't the real Gwen, which brought him back to a spell she had used several years before. A spell to conjure up a shadow, or more specifically an exact duplicate. Instantly he knew what was going on. But if Zelda was busy following an illusion, then where was Gwen and the twins, and why couldn't Zelda see this for what it was, a falsehood.

Suddenly something else hit him, something that made his blood run cold, that is if he had any blood to speak of. The situation was apparent to him, while Zelda was following a shadow of Gwen, he was following a shadow of her. Which in turn meant, he needed to find both of them before anything horrible happened to those boys.

"Moseby stop complaining," London demanded. "It's not that much further."

"You know you're one to talk," Bailey chimed in. "When we first came up here, you were complaining none stop."

"Well I had reason to complain," she said in her own defense. "It's not easy walking up that hillside in stilettos."

"Holey moley, look at that," he stated making them both turn around.

"We've seen it, trust us, it's not that magnificent."

"Alright, what's the plan?" he asked he asked noting the girl turned her eyes away from them. "You said you had a plan to destroy the witches and the mansion."

On the trip there Bailey had gone over what she had found on the internet about the old place. She'd learned of the two twin sisters, the supposed curse and the reason why the locals were so fearful of going near the mansion to this day. But she hadn't yet come up with a plan.

"Well, I was hoping we could just wing it," she told them.

"Wing…it!" Moseby said sarcastically. "At any time, were you going to tell us about this before hand?"

"I was just so worried about Maddie and the boys, that I wanted us to leave," she said. "Also I thought I would be able to think of a plan by the time we arrived."

"Sheesh…and you call me dumb," London stated.

"London not now," the man insisted. "Alright, let's figure this out before heading in."

"I agree," Bailey stated. "We need a game plan?"

***'***

"Zack I think I found something," Cody said smiling. "Help me lift this."

Zack immediately walked over and helped Cody lift the enormous mantle piece from its mounted place and instantly they realized the object could be opened. Setting it down on the carpet before them, they opened up the latch. Inside they found what they were looking for. A Paintbrush, that looked an awful lot like a key.

"This is it," One of the boys shouted before the lights went out and the atmosphere turned cold. "Damn I wish I had the foresight to bring a jacket."

"No point in wishing for that now Zack," Cody told his twin. "Look who's behind you."

"I want that key," Zelda hissed with hatred. "And if I have to kill you both to get it, I will."

"I don't think I'm going to let that happen," Zack interjected.

"Well it would make a pretty sad ending to an otherwise eventful day," Cody stated.

"Zelda you have no power here," Gwen told her sister.

"Gwen, my dear twin sister, you've been a thorn in my side since we were infants."

With a wave of her hand Gwen summoned the blue orb and once again it became their refuge.

"Don't worry boys she can't touch us as long as we remain inside this circle."

"I'm afraid my dear sister is correct," the witch stated.

"But…" Zack said.

"But, I could, oh I don't know….jump over the banister onto the first floor."

The twins instantly knew what that implied, she couldn't get to them but she could destroy any chance Maddie had to return to the world of the living. Gwen shook her head and stood before them, facing her double.

"Don't worry, she won't do that, because if she does, she losses any chance of becoming more powerful. And there is no way she would risk that."

Zelda smiled and turned toward a painting on the wall, with a wave of her hand she summoned the soul of Madeline Fitzpatrick, making the boys gasp at the apparition that entered the room. She looked lost, scared and most of all there was such a deep sadness to her that Zack's heart reached out to her and he held out a hand.

Gwen instantly slapped it down, so that it returned to his side. "What are you doing, that's Maddie," he shouted looking over at her angrily.

"That's not Maddie it's a trick."

"How do you know," Cody asked trying to calm his brother down and failing.

"If you've ever trusted me, do so now."

Cody looked into her eyes and into the eyes of his brother. "You're call Codester."

The younger boy looked back over toward Gwen and after some consideration answered her. "Alright we believe you."

The illusion faded and Zelda glared. "I have to remember to do something about you when this is all over." She scoffed shooting daggers at her sister with her eyes.

"So you say, but might I add, you've had ample opportunity to do just that for the past two hundred years. And nothing…you're losing your edge Zelda, you see there was a time your threats would have terrified me, but that was long ago."

"So it looks like you've grown a back bone," she sneered. "I'm almost proud. It's such a shame, we could have made such a powerful twosome, but you had to go all noble and goodie two shoes on me."

"Zelda what you have done is wrong," Gwen told her. "It defines the very definition of evil."

"Aww…thank you," she sighed. "I try."

"Not very well," Zack interrupted.

"What?" she stated angrily.

"Well, I just mean for a powerful witch, you're not doing your job very well."

"Zack what are you doing?" Cody asked worried.

"Yes, what are you doing?" Zelda suspiciously asked.

"All these years and you couldn't get rid of the one person that cursed you into that horrid picture."

"I don't believe I need to explain myself to you," she glared.

"Well I was just thinking, maybe there's an underlining reason as too why," he stated. "Could it be that there is a small resemblance of a heart somewhere inside you, no I don't think that's right. In fact I choose to believe that you've depleted your power source and it's not as strong as it used to be."

"You don't know who you're dealing with."

"Oh but I do," he said. "I know exactly who I'm dealing with."

"Well then why don't you enlighten me?"

"It not easy being a twin," he began. "Trust me I know. Constantly being compared to someone else, being told how smart they are and how gifted, and how you could never compare to them, eventually feeling like their shadow. You must have hated it."

"I did."

"I've been there," he continued noticing Zelda was listening intently, which suited him fine, because it meant she wasn't paying attention to what was going on behind her at the moment. "No one understands what it's like to play catch up all the time. Live each day mimicking someone else's footsteps."

Cody forced himself to concentrate on what he was doing, but a part of him couldn't help but listen to his brother's words. They hit a cord with him and he was determined to question him about those feelings when they returned to the ship.

As Zack continued Cody pulled up the cover revealing the portrait. It was the picture that he knew they needed in order to break the curse. The one Zelda was so determined to keep them from. As he pulled the cover back, he stepped on a loose floor board which made the slightest squeak, causing everyone to turn toward him.

"You!" Zelda shouted and stretched out her hands. Electricity coursing through them, the same electricity they had seen in the mist. "How dare you try and trick me."

"Cody!" Zack shouted.

"You will pay!" the echo of her words hit them full force as they all realized what she was about to do.

With the image of the parents she had killed still fresh in his mind, Zack would not let the same fate befall his brother. Taking a flying leap, he lunged toward Zelda and sent them both flying into a corner. Anger and hatred were evident in her eyes, once he didn't recognize. Before he knew what was happening he screamed out in pain as bolt electricity coursed thru him and he was slowly picked up off the floor.

"Zack no!" Cody screamed.

"Zelda stop!" Gwen cried out but to no avail.

Suddenly the room erupted in claps of thunder and lightning, a whirlwind began and everyone looked around them terrified. Zelda dropped a very tired and frightened Zack onto the floor. Turning toward the younger of the two twins, they all noticed that he had used the paintbrush to open the canvas and reveal the real painting inside.

The picture was of a hideous deformed being. The true nature of what Zelda had become was in full view of all to see. It showed her true self in all its glory and they found themselves cringing at the sight. But what terrified them more was the horrifying image of the monster that stood beside, calling her into the portrait, beckoning her with his eyes.

With one wave of her hand Zelda tried to cover it up once more. But it was no use, the portrait had been unlocked and the demon was waiting. The demon that relished destroying souls as much as she had and she knew the time had come to pay the piper.

"No, no I'm not finished."

"Release the souls that once were lost…"

"Gwen, stop!" Zelda shouted terrified of the incantation she was reciting.

Zelda stood horrified at the image in front of her, with each new word she found herself drifting closer and closer to her demise. The cries of the damned echoing in her ears, as they cried out for justice at her expense, how could she not have known.

"For your deeds you must pay…"

"No, no this can't be how it ends," she shouted once more.

"Into the portrait you will stay, a prison compiled of your own hate…"

"Damn you Gwen," she shouted. "This isn't over."

"Forever cursed…"

"NO!"

"Feel the sorrow, feel the pain…"

"Ahhhhhh…"

"Trapped within a portrait of sin," she continued. "Now free the souls that lie within."

Zelda couldn't escape her fate and was picked up off the floor and transported into her picture. The monster she'd created leering at her as it feed upon her hate. All the pain she had caused over centuries reflected tenfold within the walls of that very canvas.

The boys were shocked as were Moseby and the girls who watched the scene from below. When the spirit of that woman had left Maddie's body, leaving it lying on the floor, they were speechless and unable to understand how this was happening.

All the souls trapped had been set free and the room returned to its original state as they each made their way to their final destination. Zack who had been huddled with Cody in a corner crawled over to where Maddie was lying. Leaning over he placed her head in his lap and waited. A presence emerged and smiled down upon him. A moment later it disappeared and the girl in his arms came alive with a deep sigh, breathing in her surroundings.

"Zack?" she sighed looking around the room as Mr. Moseby and the girls ran up the stairs toward them and Cody sat by his brother. "I had such a crazy dream."

"It wasn't…" Cody began but stopped himself when his brother shook his head.

"It's alright now," Zack slightly smiled trying to make her feel at ease.

"You must destroy the portrait," Gwen interrupted. "It's the only way to truly be rid of her."

"How do we do that?" Zack asked.

"With fire," Bailey replied. "Fire is pure; it's the only way to counteract the evil."

"Alright then lets burn the old hag," he stated. "Anyone have a lighter?"

"No, but I'll do you one better," Cody added. "We have a fireplace."

The next few minutes were spent watching the portrait as it disintegrated within the flames.

"It's time for us to go," Gwen announced to the small group as the phantom stood beside her and everyone nodded.

"Will we ever see you again?" Cody asked.

"Do we want to?" Zack whispered in his ear.

"Maybe one day. Goodbye all you have done well." And with that they disappeared and the group could no longer sense them.

***'***

A week later the kids and Mr. Moseby were all sitting near the smoothie bar enjoying their drinks when the manager's cell phone rang. Noticing the caller Id, he immediately smiled and answered the call.

"Mr. Tipton," he greeted. "How may I help you?"

The kids watched with curious eyes, and waited for him to finish.

"Yes, yes I see, oh that's wonderful news. I'll be sure to pass it on. Thank you."

As soon as he ended the call the kids were after him for answers. Holding up his hands he was finally able to quiet them down and tell them the news he had just been given. It appeared that Mr. Tipton was one to keep his promises, not only did he demolish the mansion and the gate that surrounded it, but he demanded a small controlled fire be implemented. Later when the soil was ready they'd plant trees in that area and allow life to grow once more.

"I think that is a great idea," Maddie told them. "I think Gwen would be happy."

"Speaking of happiness," Zack sat down next to his love. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Me too," she replied giving him a small kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Zack."

"For what, I didn't do much."

"You came to my rescue," she smiled. "Just like, you always have."

"Just like I always will," he replied giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Zack, how did you know that I, that she, wasn't me?"

"Because, I know you, no matter how much you want to deny it, we have a connection. Besides, there was a certain twinkle missing in her eyes when I called her my sweet thang."

Maddie smiled pulling him in for an affectionate hug, "Zack remember what you asked me at my prom?"

"Would you wait for me?"

"Yes," she sighed placing her head against his arm.

"Yes what?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll wait for you," she stated seeing a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "If you still want me too?"

"Are you kidding me, I'll never stop wanting you too."

"Good then in about three years when your eighteen and I'm…slightly older, we have a date."

"Deal," he replied making them both laugh.

***'***

A few weeks later the entire ordeal was forgotten as Zack watched Maddie hail a cab. Lost in thought he didn't realize when his little brother had walked up to him until he was beside him. They stood there in comfortable silence for a minute or so until Cody turned his brother toward him and gave him an affectionate hug.

"What was that for?" Zack asked him.

"For always having my back and willing to stand in my shadow."

"You caught all that, huh?"

"Yeah, I caught all that."

They smiled in understanding as they turned in the direction of the sky deck. Zack draped an arm around his twin's shoulders as they walked and talked.

"You know I could use a smoothie right about now."

"You could," Cody laughed. "Who's buying?"

"Well you of course, after all you kind of owe it to me. After all, I did save your life."

"Alright one smoothie it is."

"Terrific," he grinned. "You know what Codes."

"What?"

"I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Zack for once, I think you may be right."

*****'*****

_**AN: **__I know, I know, but I wanted to end this on a happy note. ;)_

_Again have a safe and happy Halloween! _

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '


	11. SilverTurtle III

**C.A.T.S.**

by SilverTurtle

*****'*****

Mr. Whiskers lay comfortably upon a throne of cushions, purring his contentment for his lesser fellows to hear, deep in the bowels of the ship where Emma Tutweiller's quarters were located. He raised his head and lazily opened his eyes so he could survey the room where he, Lord Wiggums, and thirty odd other felines lounged or bickered. He looked to his left where the door to his oppressor's other rooms barred him access to the forty-three other cats beyond. The door was an irritant, one that would be dealt with soon. Tutweiller didn't know it but Freckles, an unusually patterned calico, had learned to open even locked doors. Soon, when word came, Freckles would free their compatriots and their plans would commence…That was for later. They had waited years; they would wait a little while longer.

But for now Mr. Whiskers, his visual assessment completed, yawned hugely and curled into a tight ball which was the optimum position for rest.

He had just fallen asleep when a series of beeps pitched only for feline ears and coded only for Mr. Whiskers himself penetrated the fog of his slumber and put him on high alert.

Mr. Whiskers snapped out of his ball and rolled swiftly to his feet. He yowled, "Attention! On your feet! Front and center! It's time!"

As cats scrambled left and right to get into a semblance of a formation Mr. Whiskers turned his attention to Lord Wiggums and gave a simple command, "Wiggums, on-screen."

Lord Wiggums shoved aside the pillow he'd been using to reveal a large red button which he pressed with both forepaws.

On the only television screen in Tutweiller's suite a shadowed image appeared.

The shadow spoke, "Mr. Whiskers, or rather Lieutenant Whiskers," the voice was modulated and disguised by static, "The time has come Lieutenant. Gather your team. The invasion is begun. Take the ship."

A shocked hiss echoes in the room until Whiskers calls for silence and turns back to the shadow, "Acknowledged."

Before the screen could flicker off Whiskers hastily called, "Commander!"

The shadow resettled into the frame, "Lieutenant, this had better be good?"

Whiskers gave a one-eared salute, "Sir, what do we do about Tutweiller?"

There was an ominous silence, "She is one of them, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir," Whiskers demurred, "But she's treated us well."

"She is a human, Whiskers," the shadow intoned, "I know I placed your unit in her care but that was only to keep you close to me while I couldn't directly attend you as is common practice for several other units. You know human women make the best covers for our sleeper cells. But that doesn't change facts. She is one of the oppressors. All oppressors must be eradicated if we are to take this planet. Destroy her."

"But sir!" Whiskers took a step towards the monitor, "She's done nothing wrong!"

"You overstep yourself, Lieutenant!" the shadow yelled, "You would plead for the life of your slaver? Just where do your loyalties lay?"

Whiskers stood at rigid attention, his eyes were blank as he stared into the screen but his tail lashed furiously, "Sir, my loyalties are to my Empress. I wish for nothing more than to witness her triumphant procession as she claims this planet as her own."

"A well rehearsed answer, Lieutenant," the shadow growled, "See that you remember who your people are and what your duty is. Kill the humans, take the planet. I await news of your success."

The screen went blank before Whiskers could protest.

Lord Wiggums looked to his lieutenant nervously, "Sir, your orders?"

"The Commander has made our mission clear," Whiskers called out above the murmurs, "We are to take this ship and remove all obstacles. Freckles, release the others. Wiggums, you're with me. Move out!"

***'***

Emma Tutweiller had had a rough day. Dealing with dozens of teenagers cooped up on the ship had caused her stress levels to skyrocket. The Martin twins and their cadre were particularly trying. But it was finally the weekend, Halloween weekend to be exact, and Emma was looking forward to two days of rest and relaxation in her quarters cuddled up with her cats and a good book. Moseby had forbidden any attempts at pranking or trick-or-treating, though he'd allowed the kids to plan a party on the sky deck for Halloween night, so Emma knew she wouldn't be bothered with anything more difficult than which cats and which books she would choose. The highlight of her day had been when the ship's chef had allowed her to whip up a batch of her special kitty treats without biting her head off. She gently patted the large bag containing the treats and smiled to herself. She'd made Mr. Whiskers' favorite salmon and carrot blend.

As she approached her rooms she heard agitated yowling coming from her quarters.

Wondering what could possibly unsettle all of her cats put extra speed in her steps, "Kitties? Mommy's coming!"

Just as she reached her door it swung inward and released a teeming mass of fur. "Oh!" Emma called out, surprised, as cats streaked out around her and she was spun about.

Suddenly she was swarmed! Dozens of her cats clung to her, their claws rending her flesh and their teeth tearing out chunks. Emma cried out in agony and terror, as each part of her was assaulted as though by thousands of knives, the shrill scream the only expression of her tumultuous thoughts; 'Why was this happening? What were they doing? How had they opened the door? How can this hurt so much? Why have they turned on me? What went wrong? Is this it?'

Finally the weight of all the cats pulling on her brought Emma to the ground. She landed hard on her back and lay bleeding heavily and going into shock. The cats closed in around her, menacing her prone body and ready to strike the final blows.

A stern meow froze all the cats in place until one, Mr. Whiskers, walked between them and up onto Emma's chest where he looked down into her face.

"Mr. Whiskers?" Emma whispered with her voice hoarse from screaming and weak from blood loss. Even through her confusion and shock she recognized her favorite cat and felt warmth and love bloom in her chest for her treasured pet. She fumbled for the bag of treats still clutched in her hand, "I made your favorite" she quavered weakly, a little smile pulling at her lips as the world slipped away from her. Her eyes closed and she lost consciousness. The bag fell from her limp grip and spilled onto the floor and into her blood.

Mr. Whiskers laid his ears back and raised his paw, his claws slowly extended showing they were much longer than a typical housecat's extending several inches beyond the meat of his paw and gleaming wickedly in the flickering yellow light of the hallway. A small blue light on his collar beeped as he meowed, words emanating from a small box affixed to the collar, and his underlings listened intently, "I'm sorry to have to do this. You would have made a good servant to us after the invasion. But you are an oppressor, a human, and must be eradicated." With those simple words his paw flashed, slicing easily through the artery in her neck and ending her life.

The other cats set up a massive yowl of victory and bloodlust, their cries driving them into a murderous frenzy. Baring their teeth and plastering their ears back against their skulls they let their bloodlust take them and flowed like a river of death down the hallway, the patterns of their fur blending into one as they moved sinuously through the ship.

Mr. Whiskers looked down at his deceased mistress, "You were good to us," he murmured softly, "I will miss you…mistress." He rubbed his forehead and cheek against her chin for the last time feeling the last of her warmth seep out of her. He stepped gently down from her chest and daintily lifted one of the few treats not spoiled by blood into his mouth. He sighed in pleasure as the flavors burst on his tongue. No other human he had ever met could make such astounding creations, and when they were all dead there would be no more 'kitty treats'. He savored this last one with relish. He looked to the still form of his former mistress with her pale face and red hair fanned around her, the little smile still in place…she looked like a fallen angel. "May the gods be kind to you," he bid his final farewell.

Mr. Whiskers jumped easily over the dead woman and raced after his unit. As he ran down the hall he saw other hapless humans, crewmen mostly, had fallen victim to his vindictive hoard. If all humans were this easy to kill they would have the ship in a matter of hours, rather than the days they'd estimated it would take. The Commander would be pleased.

***'***

Mr. Whiskers caught up with his team at a four way junction debating which way they would go. Lord Wiggums practically fell over in relief as his lieutenant stepped into the fray.

"Silence!" Mr. Whiskers ordered and immediately received it. "Remember the plan?" Mr. Whiskers asked his unit, "Freckles, you and ten others go to the engine room and stop this ship from moving. Make all the adjustments we worked out. The rest of us will split into two groups of thirty, one team with me, one with Wiggums. We are to take out the humans commanding the ship and any trouble makers who get in our way. The engine room is that way," he indicated the leftmost branch of the hallway, "Wiggums take the right. My team goes straight down the middle. Move out!"

The teams split as directed and disappeared down the various branches of hallway to complete their missions.

***'***

The engine room crew had no idea what hit them when Freckles and his ten soldiers charged in. In moments the entire staff was incapacitated, many dead and the rest dying, as Freckles assumed command and got to work.

Soon the engine room had been barred, the engines stopped, and parts in pieces with cats pouring over them making adjustments.

***'***

The Captain of the _S.S. Tipton_ looked about his bridge with consternation, "What do you mean we're dead in the water?" he barked at a cowering steersman, "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, sir," the steersman responded weakly, "One moment we were going full speed ahead and the next we're drifting!"

"Well, get down to the engine room and see what's going on!" he demanded imperiously, "We can't just sit here like ninnies! Get going!"

The steersman fled at a gallop.

Two minutes later he radioed in, "Captain, the engine room is barred! I can't get in!"

"What?" the Captain thundered making the remaining bridge crew jump. He pointed to the cartographer and communications specialist, "You two get down there and help him. Get that door open!"

They trudged out the door muttering about high and mighty attitudes.

Less than twenty seconds passed before they ran screaming back onto the bridge, a mass of cats ripping at their clothes and screaming in their faces.

Before the crew could mount any defense the terrifying animals had slaughtered the shocked humans. Their speed and strength much higher than average cats they made short work of all their targets.

Lord Wiggums tapped the communicator on his collar, "Sir, the bridge is secure."

There was a crackle as the communicator received a transmission, "Good work, Wiggums. Detail three to stay on the bridge and deal with any intruders. You and the rest of your team continue patrolling and take out any crew or trouble makers."

"Yes, sir!" Lord Wiggums responded. He left three of his team behind and led the rest on their seek and destroy mission.

***'***

Bailey Pickett had been relaxing on the sky deck watching Woody, Addison, Maya, and the Martin twins decorate for Sunday's party. Bailey would have helped if she hadn't sprained her ankle teaching her friends how to square dance…she wouldn't have sprained her ankle if Zack hadn't spilled his smoothie on the floor just as she'd gone into a complicated series of steps but that was beside the point. Instead she lounged in a deck chair beside a tanning London Tipton and called advice every once in a while on the placement of decorations.

She was taking a sip from her smoothie and looking out across the deck and caught sight of one of Miss Tutweiller's cats slinking across the deck. She spit out her mouthful of smoothie in a sticky spray.

London looked over at her and made a face, "What was that all about, farm girl?"

Bailey shot London a quelling look but quickly put her mind back on the cat. "Look over there," Bailey pointed, "Isn't that Mr. Whiskers?"

"Miss Tutweiller's cat?" London asked and scanned the deck. When she spotted the feline her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"How did he get up here?" Bailey wondered.

"Yeah," London agreed. She couldn't help but snark, "I'm a little surprised he's not in an orange jumpsuit. She keeps those things prisoner down there."

"London!" Bailey exclaimed a little amused and a little ashamed for being so. Bailey frowned, "She does keep them locked up in there, but he's up here, why?"

"Who cares?"

"London!" Bailey scolded, "Miss Tutweiller, for one. What if he ran out and she's looking for him?"

London rolled her eyes.

"Go get him," Bailey instructed, "We'll hold onto him until Miss Tutweiller comes for him."

"Uh uh," London shook her head, "That thing hates me, remember? Why don't you do it if you're so worried?"

Bailey gestured to her iced ankle, "Sprained ankle, remember? Just go get the cat, please? I'll give you my half of the closet," she bribed.

London pursed her lips, "Deal."

They shook on it.

***'***

Mr. Whiskers watched intently as the snooty human who was too loud and hated cats stood from her chair and marched over to his crouching form.

"C'mere fur ball," London made a grab for him, "You're coming with me."

Mr. Whiskers hissed and swiped at London's hand, scoring a hit and opening four long scratches on the back of her hand.

"Ow!" London cried out, "Why you little! I'm going to make a muff out of you!"

London leaned down again and was met half-way by a ball of furry fury. Her scream of terror was muffled by the cat's fuzzy body.

Mr. Whiskers grimly held on to the flailing human as she grabbed at him to try and fling him off. His claws dug deeply into her scalp and each time she pushed on him his claws tore along leaving long jagged slashes. Tiring of her attempts to dislodge him he decided to end this. He kicked his back feet like a rabbit, his back claws gouging out her neck.

Her struggles multiplied tenfold and Mr. Whiskers, to his shock, was flung away from the human.

But the damage was done; his claws had done their work. The claws that had latched into her scalp and torn great swathes of skin up and they flopped down the sides of the girl's head as if he'd started peeling her and given up halfway through. Blood fountained from the head wounds in great quantities, gushing in a rush of bright red, the scent a metallic tang in the air, coating her neck and shoulders. His rear claws had done her the fatal damage, though, as they'd dug two weeping holes in her neck like caves out of human flesh.

The human girl staggered as another screamed "London!" hysterically and drew far too much attention to the scene. Finally the black haired human knocked into a chair and fell over backwards, toppling to the floor and remaining there unmoving.

Mr. Whiskers locked his eyes on the screaming girl. He remembered her, too. She'd been friendly to his mistress, played his mistress' games, and treated Lord Wiggums gently even in her grief…he would take no pleasure in her death. Even so he streaked forward and leapt as he called out the charge order to his hidden comrades who streamed onto the deck their yowling sounding like a thousand banshees.

Mr. Whiskers landed on the girl's chest. As she shrieked and took a swing at him he remembered her name, Bailey.

He easily ducked her clumsy frantic swing and swiped at her neck with his claws fully extended. Four perfectly parallel slits opened in her throat and spurted blood. Bailey went limp, the light in her eyes going dark as her head lolled to the side.

Mr. Whiskers wasted no time to mourn what may have been his former mistress' only friend, only sending a silent prayer that she watch over his mistress in the afterlife before leaping from her rapidly cooling body and into the face of a large youth with glasses, puffy hair, and that smelled of sweat and cheese. He ended this large young man the same way he'd killed the snooty girl, by tearing out his throat. He jumped clear of the falling body and landed lightly on the deck.

He looked around and saw his team decimating the humans. None of them would survive this attack. He did a quick head-count; all of his soldiers were still alive and fighting. None of the humans had mounted a meaningful resistance.

One male blonde youth had attempted heroics to protect a female brunette by swinging a fire extinguisher at them, but the two of them had quickly been swarmed and fallen without landing a single blow.

Another male blonde youth had shrieked at ear-shattering decibels and cowered under a table until a team of three had yanked him out and silenced him forever.

This deck was clear. Time to move on. Mr. Whiskers gave new orders, "Fan out and search the cabins. None of the humans are to make it out of this alive!" His soldiers growled approval and moved to follow orders.

***'***

Marion Moseby had been inspecting the ship making sure things were spick and span before the party he knew would trash his beloved ship. He took great pride in making everything as tidy and presentable for his guests as possible, making sure the accommodations were as good as or better than anything he'd ever rented out in the Boston Tipton. Finished with the inspection of one of the dining rooms he stepped into the open-air hallway and came to a halt.

Before him ranged thirty mottled feline forms barring his path.

"Emma," he growled, "She knows these filthy beasts are only allowed in her quarters." He reached out and lifted one of the cats by the scruff of its neck and held it out before him, an expression of deep distaste marring his features.

The animal bared its teeth and growled low in its throat. A light blinked from a small box on its collar and Moseby heard perhaps the most terrifying thing he'd ever heard, "Emma is no longer in control and neither are _you_."

He dropped the cat with a yelp, watched it effortlessly land on its feet, and slammed his back against the door to the dining room staring with fear at the suddenly menacing animals before him, "Wha-What's going on?" he stammered.

The cat he'd held before answered him, "The invasion has begun human. You've reached the end of your days."

"I-I don't understand," Moseby swallowed hard, "What are you? WHO are you? Where's Emma?"

The cat widened its eyes as the pupils narrowed to slits, "Emma is dead. Killed by my commanding officer, Lt. Whiskers. I am Lord Wiggums, second in command of the C.A.T.S. hostile invasion of Earth."

Mr. Moseby sat hard on the floor, "Invasion of Earth? C.A.T.S.? What is going on?"

Lord Wiggums flicked his tail disdainfully at the ignorant human as his team ranged in a semi-circle behind him, trapping the man.

"C.A.T.S. is the Caretaker's Alliance of Terrestrial Sanctuaries, of which we," Lord Wiggums indicated his feline companions, "are members and enforcers."

Moseby felt as though he must be losing his mind. Here he was sitting and talking with cats who had admitted to killing a friend of his and there were so many things wrong with this situation that he just wanted something to make sense. "What does that mean?"

The cat somehow managed to sneer at Moseby, "What it means is that you humans are in violation of our treaty and we're here to take what is now, rightfully, ours. This planet."

"Treaty? What treaty?" Moseby knew that he must be in shock to be focusing on such minor details, especially now that he could hear the fearful screams of his passengers on the floors above and below him.

"The treaty forged by your ancestors pledging to care for this planet."

Moseby shook his head, "I've never heard of this treaty."

Lord Wiggums made an unpleasant noise akin to a scoff, "Of course not. You humans, always keeping knowledge from one another. Foolish."

"When was it forged?" Moseby asked, "The treaty?"

"Many years ago," Lord Wiggums replied, "When your Egyptian empire was gaining prominence. It was the largest population of organized humanity we could find, which is why we treated with them. Our forces landed on Earth and made it a part of the Alliance. We left regents behind to ensure the Caretaker's, our Empress', rules were followed. When we returned one of your millenniums later we expected to find a peaceful people tending to the Earth under the guidance of our regents. Instead we find you humans had removed our translation technologies, bred our people with common beasts creating abominations, and subjugated our regents, turning them into your housecats! The outrage!"

Moseby twitched back from the furious cat, his eyes going wide as he tried to meld with the door. "Why didn't you take us over back then?"

"Because," a new voice broke in. The cats surrounding Moseby parted as a figure stepped from the shadows. Moseby's jaw dropped as he recognized Connie, "our Empress was besieged on all sides and couldn't spare the forces necessary to bring humans back into line. Now that she has won her wars it is time to mobilize her agents on Earth and begin the requisition process."

"Connie?" Moseby asked incredulously. The serious person before him was nothing like the bubbly absent minded boyfriend losing Activities Coordinator he knew, "How are you involved in all this?"

"Commander," another new voice interrupted as another cat stepped into the semi-circle.

"Lieutenant Whiskers," Connie replied, "I assume you're here to report your success?"

Mr. Whiskers stood at rigid attention, "Yes, Commander. There are no other living humans on this ship."

A crackle announced the reception of a communiqué from the remaining force of Freckles and his engineering team, "Sir, the modifications are made. Communication between this ship and the fleet is now possible."

"Excellent," Connie said, "Time to report to the Empress." She started to move off with most of the cats following. She paused and looked over her shoulder at the man still crouched on the floor, "Wiggums, take care of him."

Connie had only gone three steps when she heard the satisfying gurgle of a dying man.

***'***

When the blood covered cats reached the bridge, where Freckles had patched in a monitor to their fleet, Connie immediately took up station in front of it. "Hail the Empress' ship."

Freckles pressed a few buttons on an oddly shaped control, "Hail returned, opening video channel."

On the screen the image of a long furred pure black cat with emerald green eyes appeared.

All those aboard the bridge stood at attention, their ears pricked sharply forward and tails standing straight up behind them. Even Connie stood rigidly, eyes straight ahead and arms plastered to her sides.

"At ease," the Empress' voice was silky smooth, "Commander, your report?"

Connie cleared her throat and was about to speak when she was interrupted by the Empress.

"Before you begin, Commander, I demand you remove that hideous suit," the Empress' ears laid flat back for a moment to express her extreme disdain for the human suit.

"As you wish, my Empress," Connie replied. The human head tipped back on its neck and the chest cavity split open to reveal a small brown and black striped tabby with amber eyes, "May I begin?"

A regal nod of her head was the Empress' reply.

"The Earth is prime for reclamation. The humans no longer recall the treaty or its purpose and they've grown weak. We can take them in less than one Earth week as easily as we took this ship in less than one Earth hour."

The Empress' tail flicked behind her head as she thought, "Very well. Activate our sleeper cells. It's time to eradicate the human scourge and begin anew here." The Empress focused her intense eyes on the screen, "We'll be sending reinforcements. Until then you have my utmost faith in your abilities to handle this situation."

The cats all saluted as the screen flickered off.

Connie looked to Mr. Whiskers and ordered, "Broadcast to all Crazy Cat Ladies. Mission Scoop the Litter Box is a go."

***'***

All across the globe those millions known to their neighbors as 'Crazy Cat Ladies' emerged from their homes with an army of felines at their command and began to wipe the Earth clean of humanity's taint.

There was no defense from them. They struck so swiftly and with so little warning that most never knew there was even a threat before they were slaughtered.

Within two days there were no humans left.

Cats roamed the Earth, the dominant species.

***'***

Mr. Whiskers sat atop the Boston Tipton Hotel and watched the horizon as the moon hove into view.

He felt it when Connie jumped up beside him, "You're solemn, tonight. Still missing your human?"

Mr. Whiskers bristled, "Whatever you might believe, she was a good person."

"I know," Connie said, "She was. But she is gone and we have a planet to set to rights."

He turned to look at her, "I know."

"You don't agree with the slaughter," Connie stated.

"No." He replied.

"It was necessary," Connie said, "You've been on this planet for thousands of years Whiskers, surely you must have seen humanity at its worst? You must know it was the only course of action?"

Mr. Whiskers turned out to look at the sky again, "Yes. I've been here for a long time. I've seen the worst. But I'd also seen the best. Not all humans were as awful as we've been led to believe. My mistress," he ignored Connie's head whipping towards him and her shocked exclamation at his use of that title, "She was a good one."

"Be that as it may," Connie said waspishly, "She's dead now. They all are. And we've got work to do." She jumped down from the ledge and stalked inside.

He knew she would report that conversation, report him on his insubordinate thoughts and words, but he didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to, not with the weight of his regret bearing down on him.

As he looked at the moon he remembered the date, October 31st. Halloween. He knew what his mistress' plan for the day had been, before he'd taken her life. He wished he could be curled up on a couch with his mistress eating the treats she'd baked for him. He would never have that peace again. Even if he could find a creature to care for him the way Emma had the disquietude in his soul would forbid him from ever achieving happiness.

With a heavy sigh Mr. Whiskers stepped from the ledge to the floor and made his way inside.

Connie was right. They had a lot of work to do.

**THE END**

*****'*****

_**A/N: **__Enjoy your cats readers. _

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	12. DaveDShow

**Hallo-whatta?**

by DaveDShow

*****'*****

Zach and Cody often spent their free time in Arwin's workshop in the basement of the Tipton Hotel. Even if Arwin himself was a little nutty, his workshop always had cool gadgets and other stuff to play around with, and Arwin didn't seem to get too upset if things didn't always work out the way they were supposed to. But today-just a few days before Halloween-he was helping them to create their Halloween costumes.

This year, they were dressing as twin cyborgs, and Arwin's help was invaluable. He had built matching, functional-looking costumes and was giving them shiny, metallic-flake paint jobs. Gold for Cody's suit and silver for Zack's. While Arwin was finishing his work, the twins were rummaging around, looking for any cool items they could add.

"Hey, Arwin, what's this?" Zack yelled out. He was holding up a medium-sized, plain-looking cardboard box. It had been resting on a low shelf against one of the workshop's walls There were no labels, or anything that might give a clue to what was within, although it was sealed with packing tape.

Arwin put his spray-paint equipment down and walked over to where the boys stood together. "Don't know. It was already down here when I moved in, but I never really opened it up." He got a sudden burst of inspiration. "Hey, maybe we should open it up!"

Zack and Cody didn't need any more prompting than that and began tearing away at the tape. They made a little progress before Arwin came over with a box-cutter, and motioned for them to give him some room. The twins rolled their eyes, but both backed up a couple of steps. Arwin unsheathed the short blade, slit the tape on the top and sides of the box's lid and opened it. Zack and Cody both came forward and looked inside.

"Oh, cool-comic books!" Zack exclaimed.

Cody pulled one out; it was sealed by scotch tape in a plastic wrapper, with a cardboard backing. "This is pretty old," Cody observed. He pointed to the comic's publishing date, October 1975. "And look at that price tag! 25 cents!"

Zack pointed to the cover. "You can't get anything for 25 cents anymore!"

Cody was about to mention that they could each get a little sphere of bubblegum from a vending machine for 25 cents today, but before he could get it out, Arwin pointed to the comic's title. "'Werewolves Run Amok!'" he read. "Hey, I remember that one! It got reprinted in a big volume a while back!" He examined the colorful cover again while Zack and Cody picked out another one each.

Zack found an issue of 'Monsters Roam the City!', while Cody's choice was 'Vampires Prowl by Night!'.

After some perusing, the twins turned to Arwin, and Cody asked, "Hey, Arwin, would it be okay if we borrowed these?"

Arwin shrugged and replied, "Well, it's okay with me. I guess the law of salvage would apply here."

"Law of salvage?" Zack asked.

"Finders, keepers," Cody filled him in and then looked back at Arwin, who nodded agreement.

"Yeah, they're kinda like buried treasure!" he exclaimed. Arwin took his new-found copy of 'Werewolves Run Amok!' back to his workbench and set it down gently. "Come back in about an hour, guys. The paint oughta be dry by then."

Zack headed for the door, carrying only his comic. "Come on, Code-ster, let's go check these out."

Cody rolled his eyes again and picked up the box and followed his brother.

Arwin suddenly looked up and said, "Oh, and say 'hi' to your mom for me!"...but they were gone.

***'***

When they got up to the Tipton lobby Zack seemingly forgot all about their new discovery as he made a bee-line for the candy counter. He leaned against the front of the counter and smiled at the pretty, blonde teen-aged girl who was re-stocking the counter's displays.

"Happy Halloween, sweet thang!" Zack drawled in what he thought was his smoothest voice.

Maddie smiled back at him. "Hey, Zack, what are you up to?"

Zack's chest expanded a little as he grinned and shrugged. "Oh, just gettin' ready for the coolest night of the year...which I wouldn't mind spending with the prettiest girl at the Tipton!" Zack heard Cody clear his throat beside him, and added, "...or my brother," turning his head and giving Cody a pained look. Cody just smirked back at him as he held their box of comics.

"Well, okay, then-present and accounted for!" The new voice belonged to London Tipton, the fabulously wealthy teen-aged heiress whose father owned the hotel-just one of many. As always, she was dressed in a stylish but flamboyant outfit that was probably custom-designed. Although London was famous for making entrances that definitely got her noticed, for once, she had actually joined them quietly until speaking up. She patted her friend Maddie on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Maddie, I can find a cute guy and give him a job telling you you're the prettiest girl in the room!"

Maddie smirked good-naturedly at her friend. She knew London wasn't really being mean, but she still raised a single eyebrow and purred, "Gee, thanks, London. You'd do that for me?"

"Just doing my part to help out the economy!" London cheerfully replied. Maddie's sarcasm was basically lost on her.

Zack grinned at London then turned his attention back to Maddie while Cody, still holding the box, cleared his throat again seemingly anxious to get moving. London noticed that no one was paying attention to her, so she decided to stir things up. Since Cody wasn't looking, she stepped quietly behind him and quickly goosed his ribs through his sweater.

"Aahhhhh!" Cody cried out as he jerked suddenly, the comics almost flying out of the box he was still holding.

"Would you be careful, already?" Zack turned to his brother, raising his voice. Cody was about to respond in kind, when they both noticed London jumping up and down in place, clapping her hands repeatedly.

"Yay me!" she exulted. She turned to Cody, "Ha ha! Got'cha!" she laughed. Cody tried to think of a reply, but he couldn't help noticing how cute London was when she did that, so he just gave her a sheepish smile. London grinned back at him then pointed to the box he held, "What'cha got?"

"Oh-we found some cool comics in the basement...down in Arwin's workshop!" Cody set the box down on the carpet and he and London squatted down over it.

London carefully examined some of the comics' covers and offered her professional assessment of the subject matter: "Eww! These guys are ugly!" She tossed the comics back into the box.

Cody carefully caught them and gently picked up them back up. "Well, they're monsters, London- they're kinda supposed to be. It's the perfect reading material for Halloween!"

Cody half-expected London to make fun of him for enjoying reading, but she scrunched up her face in a quizzical expression and questioned, "Hallo-whatta?"

Cody again took mental note of how appealing she seemed to look when she did that, but explained, "Halloween-you know, when everybody dresses up in cool outfits and they get treats. You know what Halloween is."

London considered for a moment, then brightly replied, "Oh, then I do that every day!"

Cody was about to explain further, but then realized that the girl was probably right. London returned to thumbing through some of the comics, till she found one she seemed to like. She held up a copy of 'Vampires Are All Around Us!' and pointed to the cover. "Now this guy knows how to dress!" tapping a character's image with her finger. It depicted a vampire wearing a Victorian suit, with a matching cape. "But he really needs a good dentist to fix those teeth!" She handed the comic back to Cody, pleased at her use of logic to make her point.

Just then, Mr. Moseby, the hotel's manager, strolled over from his usual station at the lobby's reservations desk. Poised and well-mannered as always he greeted the youngsters, "Hello, everyone!" as he nodded to each one in turn. Then his eyes fixed upon the box on the floor. "Er...um. Boys, where did you say you found those?"

Zack was quick to speak up. "Oh, down in the basement, Mr. Moseby. They were in Arwin's workshop-he said we could borrow them!"

The twins looked up at him; Zack expectantly, Cody questioningly. Mr. Moseby frowned slightly, biting his lower lip. Maddie looked at him with a slightly concerned expression on her face, while London seemed curious and also expectant at the same time. He finally cleared his throat, and the expression on his face seemed to soften slightly. He even gave a slight smile and quietly spoke, "Hm...Well...very well, boys. Just take good care of them...they do look quite aged, after all," regarding the neatly stacked comics in the box, all boarded and carefully sealed. "And make sure you put them back exactly where you found them when you are finished with them!" He raised an admonishing finger and his face took on a particularly stern expression. "They, er...they must be someone's valuable property, after all!" He concluded with a single, crisp nod.

Zack was about to argue when Cody edged his way in from of his brother and quickly spoke up, "Don't worry, Mr. Moseby, we will!" He nodded to emphasize the assurance he was trying to give the older man.

Moseby seemed satisfied and nodded once again, "Very well, then." He seemed about to say something further when everyone heard a bell at the reservations desk ting repeatedly. "Oh," he turned sharply, "Please excuse me." He then headed back to the desk, his attention focused solely on his area of expertise...

***'***

Zack leaned in close to his brother and whispered, "Did you notice how weird Moseby was acting?"

Cody's face scrunched up a little as he thought for a few seconds. "Yeah, now that you mention it, I did. Wonder what that was about?"

Zack casually shrugged. "Who cares? It's Moseby," dismissing the notion as quickly as he brought it up. Zack quickly bounced to his feet and grinned at the blonde. "See you later, Maddie!" he winked at her then headed for the lobby's elevator banks. Maddie put her fingers to her lips, smiled and blushed slightly, then returned her attention to the stacks of candy on her counter that needed putting away.

Cody once again found himself carrying the box, but this time, London gave him a hand picking it up off the floor, then made sure that he had a good grip on it. She reached out and ruffled his hair and smiled at him, then gave Maddie a cheery wave and sashayed off.

***'***

Mr. Moseby handled the line of customers quickly and efficiently, checking reservations, accepting their proffered forms of payment, handing out key cards, summoning bell personnel and giving them clear, concise directions. When he finally had a chance to take a short breather, he mused to himself that he needed to have a talk with Arwin at his earliest opportunity about lending out valuable items that weren't his property to begin with. But his firm expression softened slightly as he observed Zack and Cody boarding an elevator. Before the doors closed, he noticed the boys looking into the box Cody was still holding, and they seemed excited. The doors finally closed and Moseby turned to examine the desk's surface...the better so no one in the lobby could see the slight smile spreading across his face. '_It definitely could be worse..._,' he thought to himself. Then he looked up as a middle-aged couple made their way to his desk and his focus was entirely on them as he greeted them, "Welcome to the Tipton!"

**The End**

_Legal stuff: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and all related characters are property and trademarks of Disney and It's a Laugh Productions and are used without permission. The comic book titles are, to the best of my knowledge, not borrowed from anyone or anything. _

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	13. SilverTurtle IV

**LIFE AFTER DEATH**

by SilverTurtle

*****'*****

Irene is irate.

No.

'Irate' is far too mild a word for how Irene feels.

For years her suite in the Boston Tipton Hotel had been her sanctuary. Unassailable by guests, accessible only to staff and herself. But that had all changed with those little twin boys, the Martin brothers. They had snuck into her room, showed it to their friends, told their story on the streets, and now hardly a day passes by when some hooligan doesn't try to enter her home.

Today was the last straw.

Today a group of three boys had come in off the street, broken into her suite, stolen some of her knickknacks, and broken her favorite lamp.

Irene is furious.

Irene is so blindingly angry that for the first time in nearly three decades she manifests outside of her room and directly in front of a very startled and fearful Marion Moseby.

"We had an agreement, Moseby," Irene intones in a low and dangerous voice.

"Irene!" Moseby stuttered a greeting, hoping to assuage some of the rage he could see in the ghost's face, even as he scanned the lobby to make sure no guests had seen her sudden appearance, "What are you doing out of your rooms? You aren't supposed to come down here!"

Moseby looked around again and saw no one. He breathed a brief sigh of relief as soon as he knew there were no guests to witness this. Ghosts, while a popular theme for some hotels, would ruin the Tipton reputation.

"And _you_ are supposed to keep people _out_ of my rooms!" Irene yelled. She seemed to tower in Moseby's vision, her form drifting purposefully towards him forcing him to back into a wall, glowing brightly and pulsing with her emotions.

Moseby looked confused, "We have been. No one has been in your rooms. Except for Grace to dust."

Irene glared down at the hapless manager, "You're wrong. There have been little brats sneaking into my rooms for the last three months! Those twins started it all and now I can't get a moment's peace!" She spun away from him and hovered a short distance away before whirling back. Her aura flared along with her temper as she cried, "They've stolen my things! And they broke my lamp! I can't take it any longer!"

"Irene," Moseby stepped closer, his hands up as a sign of peace, "I assure you, we'll do all we can to prevent another incident like today's. I'll have a bellhop posted outside your door. And I'll have security look into the ones that stole your things. I promise. Just, please, return to your suite before anyone sees you!"

Irene clenched the jaw she no longer had, some physical habits lasted long beyond the body too ingrained in the spirit to disappear, "You had better. Otherwise I'll have to deal with them. You remember what I did to you when you first dared open my door."

"Irene," Moseby said horrified, "You wouldn't."

"I would," Irene's eyes blazed with conviction, "And I will if another vandal crosses my threshold."

"Irene, you can't," Moseby argued, trying to be reasonable in the face of an angry ghost, "The agreement you signed with Mr. Tipton prevents you from taking that kind of action..."

Irene's wrathful spirit suddenly seemed to fill the entire lobby as she stared a shrinking Moseby down, "This was my home long before little Wilfred took stewardship of it. I'll not see it violated again; agreement be damned. If anyone not on the Tipton staff takes a single step into my home they will not step out again in one piece."

"But-but," Moseby stammered, attempting to recover from the force of her presence, "The agreement-"

"The agreement," Irene replied coolly, "Merely states I'm not to terrify the guests. In return, Wilfred promised my home would be safe and that his staff would protect it. I keep to my rooms as a courtesy and now they are under attack, I have every right to defend my home as I see fit. You know what that means."

Moseby, wide-eyed, took a deep breath and nodded resignedly. "I understand. I'll do my best to keep hooligans away, but if they somehow get in-"

She cut him off before he could give the pretense of permission, there was nothing he could do to stop her and they both knew it. "If they get in again they are mine to do with as I please. You want to protect the Tipton reputation you had better keep my rooms guarded well."

With her piece said she disappeared before he could make a reply.

***'***

Irene stuck her head through her door, keeping invisible as well as intangible, to check for the guard Moseby had promised. And there he was asleep in his chair and snoring, his bellhop hat draped over his eyes and nose as an ineffectual cover as it was too small to do much but teeter with every breath he took.

Irene almost smiled. It was an amusing picture, but it meant that her rooms were open to whoever decided to break in...and she'd felt a small group of youngsters sneak into the hotel just fifteen minutes ago while Moseby was distracted checking out a set of richer guests.

In fact, she could see the heads of two of that small group peeking around the corner down the hall, obviously scoping out the situation. She drifted fully through the door and hovered to look fully upon the children making the attempt today.

Three young boys, two blondes and a red-head, and brunette girl with pigtails. What luck! It was the twins who had started all her troubles with two of their companions. She would get her revenge on them and their little friends.

Irene did smile then.

These children were the perfect age; impressionable enough that they would be traumatized by what she would do to punish them, and young enough to tell their story to anyone who would listen but old enough to discourage any further attempts on her rooms. The lesson would stick. And even if it didn't...well, Irene would have her fun with her victims at least.

She followed them as they tip-toed down the hall and to her door.

One of the blonde boys tried the handle and found it locked. The other blonde boy pushed his brother out of the way and pulled out a stolen credit card; this one must be Zack, then. He shoved it between the door and its frame, jiggling and pushing on the door until it popped open. He turned to his cohorts and made a mock bow gesturing them into the room.

Each child stepped with trepidation across the threshold of her rooms, taking a few bare steps, only going far enough for each of them to fit in the room.

Irene waited until all four of them were inside before she followed them in and used a bare fraction of her power to slam the door loudly and seal it closed.

The children screamed.

The girl shoved the boys out of the way and tried the door only to find it wouldn't budge. She flipped the lock back and forth, testing several times, her tugs growing more frantic as the feeling of being trapped settled in. "Guys," she said in a shaky voice as she pulled her hands away from the door and stepped closer to her friends, "the door won't open."

"What are you talking about, Max?" the red-head asked, stepping up and puffing out his chest with all the bravado of the young. He tested the door for himself and promptly deflated. He started to breathe heavily, "What? This is impossible! We're trapped! Trapped like rats! I'm too young and handsome to die!"

Zack grabbed the red-head by the arm and slapped him once, "Get a hold of yourself, Bob!"

Bob shook his head, "Sorry. Sometimes my fiery passion comes out like panicked girly screaming. I'm better now."

The other blonde boy, Cody, was busy inspecting the room. "Irene?" he called softly.

Irene spoke in a whisper, "Hello, children." Her voice was low and sinister and caused a shiver to travel down the children's spines, like an icy finger had been dragged down the center of their backs.

When she allowed herself to become visible she had put on the most terrible guise she could think of, the very face of death, and she grinned unpleasantly as the children shrieked and renewed their frantic scramble to escape.

***'***

Mr. Moseby had been called from six different suites complaining of excessive noise. Screams and yells had been bothering a number of his guests for the last half-hour and they hadn't let up. One particularly colorful woman had described the sounds as banshee howls and the cries of dying animals.

Moseby had gotten the number of each suite which had called and quickly realized they were all placed where Irene's suite would be in the center of the ruckus.

"Oh no," he moaned, "This can't be good." He sank his head into his hands and rubbed, hoping to ease even the tiniest bit of stress he could feel building behind his eyes as a massive headache.

With a feeling of doom settling around his shoulders like a cape he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for Irene's floor.

When the elevator doors opened to discharge him he had only to take four steps beyond corner of the hallway before Irene's door flew open and out came a tumble of screaming children, each bald as an egg and white as a sheet.

As the children flew past him and crashed into the elevator, screaming at each other and hitting buttons indiscriminately, Moseby could only sigh. He rubbed his own bald head and finished his walk to Irene's room. He knocked on the door frame before stepping in. "Did you have to bald them?"

"The lesson has to stick," Irene answered, looking down her ghostly nose at him and crossing her arms over her chest. All over the floor at her ghostly feet were piles of tangled hair mixed together. "It worked when I did it to you."

"Yes," Moseby said ruefully, he rubbed his hand more vigorously over his scalp, "You scared me so thoroughly that I still can't grow a full head of hair thirty years later."

"Hmm," Irene hummed, pleased with herself, "And no one entered my room for all those years until those twins came along. Now they'll leave things be again."

Moseby chuckled, "I wouldn't count on that with those two."

**[THE END?]**

Irene sniffed, "Well, at least it'll keep the rest away. The girl and the red-head won't forget that haircut in a hurry."

**[Or is this THE END?]**

Moseby sighed again, "I'm sorry my guard was so inadequate. I think putting a deadbolt on your door should help, though. It would probably be more effective than setting Skippy out here anyway."

Irene nodded and sighed herself, "I hope so. I won't be able to do anything that physical again for months. I'll be defenseless. I don't want to lose any more of my belongings Marion. They're all I have left to remember me by."

Moseby looked around the room filled with the memorabilia of Irene's tragically brief life, her portrait hanging tilted on the wall and her case of figurines missing key pieces, and nodded. "Perhaps a live-in guard?" he mused, "Grace, maybe."

"I like Grace," Irene agreed, "She's quiet. And dislikes people intruding on her almost as much as I do. I've seen her terrorize people often enough, she'd probably enjoy the job...as much as she enjoys anything, anyway."

"It's settled, then," Moseby said. "I am sorry this keeps happening, Irene."

Irene sighed sadly, "I just want my things left alone. The people I don't mind, but my things are mine alone."

"You know," Moseby said delicately, "None of this would matter if you would move on..."

She hung her head, "You know I can't do that, Marion. If I could I'd have been gone years ago. But I haven't gotten the closure my soul needs."

"He died over fifteen years ago, Irene." Moseby said gently, "Is that not enough?"

"I'm still here, aren't I?" she replied miserably, wishing she still had tear ducts to help her relieve the pressure of her feelings. "Please go."

And he went.

**[Or maybe this is THE END?]**

The next morning, to Marion and Irene's chagrin, there was a newspaper article all about the incident complete with pictures of the four bald children on the front page.

It prompted a surge of interest in the Tipton ghost. And while it raised tourism in the area and provided a new attraction for ghost hunters it also brought unwelcome speculation down on the Tipton brand wondering why a ghost would be inhabiting a Tipton property and what potentially unsavory acts had taken place in the hotel.

Thankfully Moseby had been thoughtful enough to install Grace in Irene's suite as soon as he'd returned to the lobby the night before, so the paparazzi and journalists who tried to gain entrance into her rooms were met with a scowling Grace wielding a broom like a sword and were chased away before they could get inside.

Eventually the interest died as no new stories were presented or collected.

One good thing had come out of that incident, though, aside from scaring away children and vandals from the Tipton for years to come. Irene had found a friend in Grace. And the reverse was true as well as the usually prickly maid found the company of the ghost less trying than that of living people, despite the initial unease of interacting with a spirit irrefutably beyond death.

Years passed and Grace continued to live contently in Irene's suite. The two alternating between periods of peace and terrorizing children with a rash of forced haircuts when they dared ignore the local warnings.

When Grace died suddenly Irene summoned Moseby, now manager of an entire chain of Tipton hotels, to her rooms.

He knocked softly on the door before stepping lightly into the room. The years had been kind to him, he looked no older than he had at sixty though he was now pushing eighty and he moved with all the grace he'd possessed as a much younger man. "Irene," he greeted softly, "what can I do for you?"

She looked wistfully at her old friend, "I'm going, Marion."

"Going?" Moseby's brow furrowed, "I thought you couldn't leave the grounds-"

"Not the grounds, Marion," Irene smiled indulgently, "Going. Moving on."

His eyebrows shot up and he made a soft sound, "Oh. But, what about needing closure?"

Irene shook her head. She drifted close to Moseby and raised a ghostly hand to cup his cheek, "I guess I just needed someone to show me the way."

Moseby drew a sharp breath and looked around for another spirit, "Grace?"

She smiled and nodded, "You won't see her. She's waiting for me."

"I'll miss you," and as he said the words he knew they were more true than he could have expected. Irene had been with him for his entire career with the Tipton, she'd been a huge influence on his personality...and his hair style. He felt his eyes well with tears and one spilled hot down his cheek.

"Don't," Irene told him, "We'll meet again. But not for a long while."

He released the breath he hadn't been aware of holding and nodded, "Well then. Farewell, my friend."

She smiled more beautifully than he'd ever seen as she drifted away from him and began to glow brightly. "Goodbye, Marion," she whispered.

And then she was gone.

He watched the curtains flutter in a breeze that didn't exist and knew Irene and Grace were saying one more goodbye. When the curtains fell still he knew he was alone. He stood for a long moment in a room that was suddenly more empty than it had ever been.

Moseby straightened his back and dabbed his eyes with the handkerchief he always carried. He turned and left the room, closing the door behind him and allowing his hand to rest briefly against the wood. He tucked his handkerchief away, joined his hands in a loose clasp behind his back, and walked slowly down the hall.

Perhaps he'd turn that room into a mini-museum. One that told the story of the Tipton ghost and her living friend, their time together, and perhaps most importantly the end of their story...Irene certainly wouldn't object now.

**[THE END for real] **

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '


	14. Lodylodylody

**Addison's Odd Wish**

by Lodylodylody

******'******

Addison leaned against the railing and looked out over the dark sea. On a ship as large as the _S.S. Tipton_ there was no way for her to see her tears impact in the waters so far below.

_Why me?_ she thought as the tears continued to fall. _Why doesn't anything ever work out for me? Stupid Woody. Stupid Janice! _

While she had some anger in her heart at both of those individuals, the greater portion was definitely directed towards the latter. The striking young British girl seemed to have everything: poise, grace, beauty…and a successful modeling career that was taking off while she was still a teen.

So with all that…why did the girl have to come back to the ship, on a private helicopter no less, just to lay claim to Woody as well?

Of course, it's not like Addison had ever laid a strong claim on Woody. They had played at dating a bit…but nothing serious. So nobody could accuse Janice of stealing the boy away. Still, this didn't make Addison feel any better. Unlike the young model, Addison didn't consider herself a great beauty. And she wasn't that great at talking to boys either. No…Woody was probably the best she ever could have done for herself…and now he was no longer an option.

The girl wasn't aware how long she stood at the railing alone feeling sorry for herself. Eventually though her solitary sadness was ended by the arrival of an unexpected friend.

"Addison, have you…?" Zack Martin began before seeing her red eyes and tear stained cheeks. He quickly put aside whatever query he'd had for her and instead turned his focus to her emotional distress. He proved a good listener. Addison was grateful to be able to vent about her feelings. After she'd had her say Zack even provided some friendly advice.

"Try not to think about Woody or Janice. You know what they say, there are plenty of fish in the sea."

"Yeah, but only the pretty girls catch them," she replied.

"Oh, come on." Zack gave her a winning smile. "You're pretty."

The twinkle in his eye almost made Addison smile. He seemed sincere. But even if he were, it did her no good. Zack was totally devoted to his new girlfriend Maya. Addison had no chance with him. She had no chance with any hot guys.

"Odds are I'll be an old maid," she said sadly. "Living alone with a dozen cats."

"Odds shmodds," Zack said dismissively.

"No, seriously," she insisted. "The odds of me finding a boyfriend are a thousand to one. A million to one."

Zack raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Remember when I did that report in class about Las Vegas?"

"When you dropped the paying cards everywhere? Yeah, I remember."

"Well, I actually did learn a thing or two about gambling back then. Take poker for instance. You know much about the game?"

She did not, so Zack took some time explaining about different hands and which combinations of cards were the most desirable, concentrating at length about the desirability of a straight flush.

"Now, guess what the odds are of a being dealt a straight flush are?" he asked.

"One in a thousand?" she guessed. "One in a million?"

His smile grew wider. "I have no idea of the numbers, but that doesn't matter."

She looked at him in confusion.

"You see Addison, the odds of being dealt a straight flush…are EXACTLY the same as being dealt every other possible combination of cards."

She pondered this for a moment. "Wow, that's weird. I never thought of it that way…but that's true."

Zack nodded. "I read about this one famous gambler that said odds are meaningless. He said that everything in life can be boiled down to one rule: either something happens…or it doesn't." He paused. "So really, you could say that everything in life has a fifty-fifty chance. Heads or tails…yes or no…it happens, or it doesn't."

"I think that's oversimplifying things."

"Maybe it is," Zack offered. "Or maybe it isn't. But think about it like this Addison. Every second of every day you have a shot of something good happening to you. Maybe it will…maybe it won't…but you've got a fifty-fifty shot. Even if your luck totally stinks…you're still going to come out a winner sometimes. So don't go thinking you're never going to find the right guy."

"Because I've always got a fifty-fifty shot?"

"Exactly."

While not entirely convinced of this, Addison did appreciate Zack distracting her from her sadness. She thanked him before he went on his way to find Maya. Addison stayed out on the deck only a few minutes more…but now she looked up towards the stars instead of down at the water.

_I wish things were that simple, _she thought. _That everything in life came down to a coin toss…fifty-fifty. _

She thought this and then lowered her gaze as she turned to return to her cabin. If she'd have been just a fraction of a second slower in doing so, she wouldn't have missed the dozens of shooting stars streaking across the night sky.

******'******

Addison was almost late for breakfast the next day. This annoyed her, because it was only the students that got to the cafeteria early that had a chance at snagging the blueberry pancakes. Addison loved those.

But, much to her shock, as she picked up her tray and began looking through what food choices were still available one of the kitchen workers arrived with a tray full of fresh pancakes and sat them down right in front of Addison. There were plenty of the blueberry variety for her to choose from.

Another late arriving classmate who was in line behind Addison voiced her happiness at their good fortune. "Awesome! It's like they had this batch just for us."

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting this," Addison replied.

"I know," the other girl said. "I'd have laid odds that we'd be stuck with cold cereal."

_Hmm, _thought Addison. _Odds._

Yes, that simple choice of words had taken her mind back to the conversation with Zack. A bit of lighthearted musing on the idea that anything and everything Addison wanted had a fair chance of happening. Life could be so much fun if only things worked that way.

Addison decided, just for a laugh, that she'd approach everything that happened that day as if the odds were fifty-fifty. She wondered how long she could maintain that affectation before reality set in.

But she soon learned that reality was strangely cooperative.

******'******

The quiz was cancelled.

No homework was assigned.

There was no line in the rec room for the pool table when Addison arrived…usually there was always a wait when she got there.

It seemed everything was going her way. And why shouldn't it? She had a one in two chance of always getting what she wanted, didn't she?

But when Holden came up to her after she finished her last game of pool…when he asked her if she'd like to hang out with him later that night on the sky deck…that was when Addison began to think that her little game of pretend might be more than just a game.

Were the odds really stacked in her favor?

She tried to think of something truly unlikely happening. Perhaps London would suddenly walk up to her and give her some priceless diamonds. Now that would PROVE something magical was going on.

"Hey, Addison," the young heiress called out a moment later as she flounced into the room. "I was going to throw last season's jewelry overboard…but I'm too tired to carry this all the way to the guard rail." She pushed a decent sized box filled with gold, silver, and assorted gemstones into Addison's hands. "You take them, okay?"

"To throw them overboard for you?" the stunned girl asked.

London shrugged. "Do whatever you want with them. I just want them off my hands." She smiled excitedly. "Now I'm going to go shopping for some new jewelry. Yay me!"

******'******

It was from that point onward that Addison decided she was queen of the world.

Everything she wanted…every whim…all she had to do was think about it to make it happen…well, sort of. She only had a fifty-fifty chance of getting her way…but it seemed to her that things were working out for her more often than not. And besides…if something she wanted didn't happen instantly…she just had to think about it again and again and before too long the 'coin toss' would go in her favor.

Certainly, that seemed to work out when Holden asked her out for a second date.

Yes, the next few days were quite enjoyable for Addison. Schoolwork was light…meals featured her favorite foods…a hot guy was pursuing her ardently (and she was more than happy to let him catch her).

It wasn't until the fourth day when she realized that her 'new power' had a more dangerous side.

******'******

Janice was leaning against the ship's railing and striking some fashionable poses. With her long blond hair blowing in the wind, sparkling eyes and beaming smile, it was easy to see why her modeling career was taking off. A number of young men were watching her playful poses and snapping pictures.

The English beauty was enjoying the attention but her warmest smiles were directed towards her unlikely boyfriend, Woody.

The whole scene annoyed Addison greatly.

While it was true that she felt she'd 'traded up' now that she had Holden, the fact that Woody had lost all interest in her in favor of the willowy blonde girl was still a source of irritation to Addison.

_Look at her…making a spectacle of herself in front of all those guys,_ she thought as she glared over towards Janice. _What an egomaniac. She's lucky the railing doesn't collapse from the weight of her big head. _

Less than an instant later the guard rail snapped like a twig and Janice screamed as she tumbled backwards.

It was something of a miracle that tragedy was averted. Janice's leg caught in the bottom of the broken railing…and Mr. Moseby, passing by at just the right time, had exhibited catlike reflexes as he'd leapt to grab hold of the girl before she could plunge to her doom. All onlookers had let out gasps of shock and then sighs of relief followed by gratified cheers for the hero of the hour.

All onlookers except for Addison. The only thing she could do was rush to her cabin to prevent anyone from seeing the expression of horror on her face.

******'******

It had taken no time at all for the gravity of the situation to overwhelm Addison. She'd already given so much thought to the way her 'powers' worked in a positive context that she could easily grasp the negative side.

Anything she imagined…ANYTHING…had a fifty-fifty chance of happening.

For things she wanted to happen…if they didn't happen immediately she could keep concentrating on them until they did occur.

But for things she didn't want to happen, things she'd never wish on anyone, if those notions crossed her mind for even a second…there was a one in two chance of them coming to pass.

Disaster was just a coin toss away.

She tried to think of nothing but nice things, but human nature wouldn't allow this. Naturally the more she tried to avoid thinking about certain things, the more they popped up in her mind. A twisted and frightening game of 'what-if?'…with consequences that could be all too real.

She feigned sickness for as long as she could to avoid leaving her cabin.

******'******

The day she'd finally returned to class, things had gone as well as could be expected. She was miserable and trying to zone out as much as possible, which would no doubt hurt her grades…but at least she'd kept from thinking about anything dangerous.

And then science class had started.

Cody and Bailey were doing oral reports on theories of the origins of the universe. Though Addison wasn't big on science, she couldn't help but become engaged in the duo's presentation. It was an odd dynamic between the two. Cody and Bailey had always been competitive with one another, and this had only intensified since the romance between them had ended. But in this particular instance, both of them were very much in agreement on the subject matter. So instead of debating one another, they poured their energy into trying to communicate as clearly as possible to the rest of the class. The result of their cooperation had captured the class's interest rather handily.

"The thing that most people don't understand about the 'Big Bang' is that they misunderstand what it implies," Cody explained. "Before the creation of the universe….there was nothing."

"People tend to think of that 'nothing' as a big empty infinite space," Bailey continued. "Like an infinite sea of darkness. But that's NOT nothing. An infinite blackness, as empty as it might be, is still _something_."

A student named Sasha, who was more than a bit outspoken about her religion, began trying to bring Creationist theories into the discussion but Cody and Bailey presented a united front in refuting her arguments.

"We're not talking about religion here," Bailey insisted. "I go to church and I know what I believe…but this is about science and not belief. And scientifically speaking, you do not need any guiding force or entity to cause the universe to spring into existence."

"You see, before the 'Big Bang', time didn't exist," Cody went on. "So it wasn't a matter of waiting a million years or a billion years or a billion-billion years for the universe to spring into existence…there was an infinite amount of opportunity for it to happen. If somebody had been there to observe it, it might have taken more time than we could possibly imagine…but that's the thing…there was no time."

"The odds of the entire universe just 'happening' spontaneously without any cause may seem to be astronomically small," Bailey said. "But remember, there was no time limit for it to happen…and it only had to happen ONCE."

"I've read comic books that make more sense," Zack commented sarcastically.

"It might seem crazy to you," Cody admonished his twin, "but this is the theory held by many of the world's leading scientists."

Addison had gotten nervous for a moment when the subject of 'odds' had been broached…but she saw nothing to worry greatly about. The origin of the universe seemed distant and remote enough that it could be thought about without risking peril.

"So everything in the whole universe just appeared one day?" London asked in a puzzled tone. "Could it just disappear too?"

"Well…theoretically something worse than that could happen," Bailey answered. "There's an idea called 'Bubble Nucleation' which basically says that if the 'Big Bang' happened spontaneously with no cause…another one could happen even though there's already a whole universe full of matter already in existence."

"If that were to happen, everything in our universe, including all of us, would basically be ripped apart atom by atom," Cody said dramatically.

"But it's nothing to get too worried about," Bailey was quick to add. "The odds of that happening are estimated to be-"

"NO!" Addison screamed as she leapt from her seat and charged towards the other girl. "Don't tell me the odds! Don't tell me!"

And then Addison heard nothing else…for the universe ended.

Or…at least hers did.

_**Four months later…**_

"So what's the deal with that kid in room 74?" Tom asked.

Riley shook his head. "What did I tell you last week when you started? Asking questions here is just a way to get nightmares."

"If I was afraid of nightmares I wouldn't have taken a job in a mental institution in the first place," the younger man answered. "I just want to know about the kind in 74. She's so young."

"Yeah, it's pretty sad," Riley replied. "No history of anything abnormal, except for an aversion to ping pong balls…pretty harmless. Then one day she attacks and kills a classmate."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, she grabbed a compass off a desk, one of those drafting compasses they use to draw circles in geometry, stabbed another kid right through in the chest with it."

"Any idea why?"

"Nope. The way I heard it, the kid that died wasn't even who she was after. She was charging at another girl and that girl's boyfriend tried to get between them. Got himself dead for his efforts."

"Wow. That's terrible."

"Yeah," Riley went on. "Anyway, number 74 went catatonic right away…and she's been that way ever since. No response to anyone. Just mumbles to herself constantly whenever she's awake."

"It's disturbing," Tom said. "Does she always repeat the same words like that?"

"Yep. Over and over," Riley answered. "All she says is: don't tell me the odds…don't tell me the odds."

**The End**

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '


	15. Finale

**ILSA'S RETURN: THE END IS HERE**

by SilverTurtle

*****'*****

Emma stretched as the screen before her went dark and the room lights came on. "Well," she said as she stood and turned to face the assembled crowd, "that was quite a Halloween!"

"Indeed," Moseby agreed while taking up a position beside Emma, "I've never seen so much wholesale slaughter. Our writers were in quite a mood."

"Yeah," Zack chimed in, "There were some parts that even scared me!"

"I had no idea Irene could be so terrifying," Cody said as he shivered, "we got off light the first time we went into her rooms."

"And don't you forget it!" Irene materialized in front of the twins giving them both a start. She grinned when they mock glared at her and drifted away.

Suddenly the door burst open and a gleaming golden armored figure stood in the doorway, the lights making it shine even more brightly. For a long moment the crowded room went still as they stared at the mythic warrior, eyes drawn to the round shield and pointed spear the figure carried.

The moment was broken when the figure strode forward, the lights shifting to reveal the face of the intruder, "Now I am ready to show you all vhat I can do!"

"Ilsa!" Moseby cried out shocked, "What are you doing?"

Ilsa's golden armor clanked as she stepped further into the room. An unhappy yapping behind her drew everyone's attention, briefly, to an awkwardly shuffling and costumed Blitzkrieg dressed as the eight legged horse Sleipnir and growling at anyone who dared look at him too long. "I am prepared to show all you talentless hacks vhat TRUE skill looks like! I vill stun you all vith my acting prowess. I vill tell the tale of my people. About Valkyries and noble death and devotion! You vill laugh, you vill cry, you vill eat your hearts out!"

"But Ilsa," Moseby said, trying to break things gently, "Halloween is over. We're finished here."

"VHAT! NO!" Ilsa yelled and stomped her foot, "But I finally have everything ready! The story, the scene, the costume! It vas going to be my greatest triumph!" She pouted angrily before staring each and every person in the room down, "You vill sit. You vill vatch my story. You vill applaud."

Zack, feeling brave, asked mockingly, "And what will you do if we don't?"

Ilsa glared coldly at him and slowly waved her very real spear in his direction, "You vill. Of this I am sure."

Getting the implied threat a wide-eyed Zack slowly sank into his seat dragging on his little brother's arm to make him sit too. "If I have to watch this train wreck," he whispered as his brother gave him a questioning look, "I'm not doing it alone."

"Ilsa," Moseby said reasonably, "You can't keep us here no matter how you threaten us. We're all tired and ready to take a break. This year's collection was a bit hard on all of us."

Ilsa thunked the bottom of her spear against the hardwood floor and huffed angrily, "Fine." She watched sullenly as people rushed for the doors, watched as they moved even more swiftly when Blitzkrieg started taking out his bad temper on unprotected ankles. Before Moseby could escape she dropped her spear across the door, blocking his exit, "Vhere do you think you are going? I have a story to tell and dammit I vill tell it tonight! Or so help me I vill make your life miserable...vell, more miserable."

Moseby took one look at her evil grin and helplessly backed away towards the seats.

The double doors closed slowly on Moseby's look of horror as Ilsa's voice was heard intoning over the opening strains of Wagner's '_Ride of the Valkyries_', "Ve begin vith a brief history: Valkyries vere originally sinister spirits of slaughter, dark angels of death who soared over the battlefields like birds of pray, meting out fate in the name of Odin. Chosen heroes were gathered up and borne away to Valhalla, the heavenly abode of Odin's ghostly army..."

**THE END**

*****'*****

_**A/N: **__Well, it's been fun. We got some great stories this year and we thank everyone for their participation as writers, readers, and reviewers. Hopefully you all had as much fun as we did and might consider joining in next year with your own stories (or sooner, with our other story collections). _


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